Marrying Lucius Malfoy
by Rave Skyy
Summary: Poor, poor Selina Julliard. In just two weeks her whole family is dead, she’s in deep financial trouble, and the only way out of debt is to marry recently widowed Lucius Malfoy. Murders, mysteries, lies, romance, and much, much more!
1. Chapter 3

Title: Marrying Lucius Malfoy  
  
Rating: R  
  
Summary: Poor, poor Selina Julliard. In just two weeks her whole family is dead, she's in deep financial trouble, and the only way out of debt is to marry recently widowed Lucius Malfoy. Just when she thinks things could get worse, Selina begins to get the feeling that whoever murdered her parents and sister has come to finish her off. Murder, mystery, scandal, romance, and much, much more!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. They all belong to J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., and several other big companies. No money is being made of this story.  
  
A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I hope you like this chapter, and reviews are always welcome! Please review!  
The next morning, when Selina awoke, she wasn't in the hotel room, as she had been the night before. Instead she was in a large, fancy bedroom lying on a large, fancy bed. She was dressed as well, in a stiff nightdress and gauzy pink bathrobe. Still sore from the night before, Selina sat up and yawned. Her new 'husband' was nowhere to be found, but there was a note pinned to the pillow beside hers. Written in a messy, girlish script that most likely belonged to Lucius's latest secretary-Riley had told her all about the pretty young secretaries that Lucius 'favored' so much-it read: Selina, So sorry that I could not be there to greet you on our first morning as husband and wife, but you understand, I'm sure. As your godmother undoubtedly told you the two of us will not be going on a honeymoon for I believe that such things are trivial wastes of time. Don't expect me home this evening; if you are truly lonely then go and spend the night with the friend of yours. Signed, Lucius Malfoy.'   
  
Selina threw the note down on her bed and looked out her window. It wasn't as if she would have wanted to go on a honeymoon with Lucius Malfoy, but he made it seem like she was the trivial waste of time. To herself she wondered if this was how Narcissa had felt.   
  
'Maybe,' Selina thought, 'Narcissa Malfoy was like me when she married Lucius, but then all the neglect led to her turning into a cold, icy, hardened woman.'   
  
She shook her head and moved for the bathroom, silently promising herself never to turn out like Narcissa Malfoy. However, all thoughts of Narcissa Malfoy were driven from her mind when she stepped into the bathroom. At a first glance it had seemed like nothing more than a very luxurious, very big bathroom, but when Selina had gone to draw a bath she found that there were no knobs to turn the water on with. After look over the rest of the bathroom-the sink, the toilet, and the cabinets-she found that they all lacked handles and knobs. This proved to be too much, and Selina began to kick the gigantic bathtub which was built into the wall. Really, it was more like a small pool, complete with steps leading down into the depth of the tub.   
  
"Heavens almighty!" she cursed. "All I want it a nice, warm bath to start my day off! What in the world is so hard about."   
  
Selina trailed off, though, when the bathtub was instantly filled with water. After sticking two fingers into the water Selina found that the temperature was just right-not too cold and not too hot. And all she had had to do was wish for it.   
  
"I wish that I had a bubble bath," Selina said and, just like before, her wish was granted, and the water was filled with soapy subs. Smiling to herself and shedding her clothes Selina climbed into the bathtub and sat on one of the little seats built into the wall. She had been soaking for a few moments when the door to the bathroom swung open. In strode a very plump, very stern looking woman. She was clad in a simple but elegant velvet blue dress trimmed in white lace, and for a moment Selina thought that the woman might be a friend of Lucius's.   
  
But then the woman said, in a rather snippy tone, "You must be Ms. Selina. I am Ms. Delilah Laverne, and you will call me Ms. Laverne. I am to be your personal assistant, planner, fashion advisor, etcetera."   
  
Selina blinked. "I'm going to need all that?" she asked.   
  
Ms. Laverne gave her a very critical look. "Oh, you'll need much more than that," she said coolly, "which is why I have requested that you be assigned a personal maid, just to look out for you." Ms. Laverne turned to the doorway and clapped twice. Not two seconds later a handmaiden-she looked even younger than Selina herself-appeared. She was dressed in a much simpler dress than Ms. Laverne-a plain lavender dress with a cinched waist- and her long blonde hair fell out of her colonial-like cap. "This," Ms. Laverne said, "is Pamela. She's very young-only eighteen-and she hasn't been with us very long, but she knows enough etiquette to keep you out of trouble."   
  
Selina was beginning to feel as if Ms. Laverne greatly disliked her, but she could not fathom for what reason. The elderly woman began to bustle around the bathroom, rearranging the few items that were on the counter and radiating disdain. Pamela stood awkwardly in the doorway, staring at the ground. After a few moments Selina went back to soaking, though she was a little unnerved by the presence of two other people in the room, even if neither of them seemed to be paying very much attention to her. After a good thirty-minute soak, when the pains of the night before were just beginning to fade away with the water, Ms. Laverne turned to the bathtub and frowned deeply.   
  
"Heaven almighty!" she murmured. "Have you found a new home in there? Get out now! We have many things to do today, to prepare for the ball-"   
  
"What ball?" Selina asked, and she received a cold and degrading scowl from Ms. Laverne.   
  
"Your husband throws a ball every year around this time. Narcissa used to organize it, being the lady of the house, but now that you're in charge of things I see that I have my work cut out for me. Now hurry and wash your hair and get out! Pamela will help you find a suitable dress or robe to wear. I won't allow you to walk around in the Southern monstrosities that you brought over from the States. They're terribly ugly and much too revealing for a married woman. The master of the house would hardly approve." Then, with a sweeping twirl, Ms. Laverne turned and stalked to the open door. Just as she was leaving, though, she called over her shoulder one last order. "And don't you ever interrupt me!"   
  
As soon as the door to Selina's rooms had been slammed shut it was as if a great tension had been lifted from the room. Pamela straitened up and lost her stricken look. "Hurry up now. Ms. Laverne wants us to begin to pull together the menu for the ball today. The bakery in the muggle town not too far from here opens in an hour. I also need to give you a small, semi tour of the manor, so we need to get a move on it, Mrs. Malfoy."   
  
Selina inhaled sharply. It hadn't been too bad when Ms. Laverne had referred to her being the mistress of Malfoy Manor, but to actually be addressed to as 'Mrs. Malfoy' was a terrible reminder that she would be bound to Lucius for the rest of their lives. Pamela sensed that for immediately she had rushed to the bathtub and began to apologize profusely.   
  
"Oh, Ms. Selina! I am so sorry! I should have guessed that you wouldn't want to be called that. Oh, no! You're shaking like a leaf." Pamela dragged Selina out of the bathtub and wrapped her in a fluffy green towel. After herding her into her room and sitting her down on a chair Pamela disappeared through a door. For a moment Selina thought that Pamela had gone to retrieve Ms. Laverne, but she only emerged a few minutes later with three fancy robes in hand. "We should get you warm and dressed as soon as possible," Pamela was saying, more to herself than to Selina. "Which one do you like best?"   
  
Selina pointed to the simplest of the three, a blood red robe with black flowers sewn into the bodice and black lace at the cuffs. Pamela nodded and, after handing the robe to her, pushed her behind a large screen.   
  
"Just change behind there," Pamela instructed. "I'll be back in a few moments with a some matching jewelry to choose from."   
  
Selina poked her head out from around the screen. "I have to wear jewelry?" she asked.   
  
Pamela nodded and smiled softly. "It's highly expected of the wives of high- class wizards here," she explained, "to wear old family jewelry. The more expensive a woman's trinkets the higher up she is thought to be. The late Narcissa Malfoy wore more jewels than humanly possible." Pamela turned on her heel and left the room through another door. It took her fifteen minutes to return, and this time she was carrying a large, heavy looking wooden box with Latin inscriptions all over it. Selina, despite the intricate lacing-up her robe took, was dressed by then and looked at the box apprehensively.   
  
"Pamela," she said, "I don't want to wear a dead woman's things."   
  
Pamela nodded knowingly. "Ms. Laverne thought as much. She asked Mr. Malfoy to dig up some jewelry that Narcissa had never worn. It took a while, but he found a whole trunk full of necklaces and brooches and what not. I took the liberty of sorting it all out into different types of gems. Here's the emeralds-they'll compliment your eyes nicely."   
  
Selina, glad she wouldn't have to tromp around in Narcissa Malfoy's things, opened the box and gasped. It was the type of box with several levels that all folded out when the top of the box was opened. Carefully arranged in each of those levels were dozens of emerald trinkets, each grander than the one before it. After avidly examining each piece of jewelry Selina settled on an elegant necklace in the shape of a swan. Two small diamonds made the swans eyes, and Pamela assured Selina that it went very well with her outfit. After choosing out her accessories for the day Pamela styled Selina's thick red curls into a complicated and immaculate bun. Satisfied that her mistress was presentable to anyone they might cross that day Pamela led Selina down to a large, drafty room in which the only furniture was a long wooden table.   
  
"This," Pamela informed Selina in her prim British accent, "is the dining hall. You will eat most every meal here, except when you are too sick to come down here and at parties. When you throw parties you will dine in the ballroom."   
  
"We have a ballroom?" Selina asked, and Pamela could have sworn she heard a rise in her mistress's voice.   
  
"Yes, Ms. Selina. Malfoy Manor has had the same old ballroom for the past three-hundred-and-thirteen years. It's made entirely out of black marble, you know, and there are gargoyles built into the ceiling." Pamela leaned in closer to Selina. "Really, it gives me the creeps. Those gargoyles have enchanted eyes, I think, and so it's always like someone's watching you."   
  
Selina shivered at the thought but managed to smile. "Back at home, in Alabama, my family had a big plantation house built way back in the eighteen-hundreds. We had a ballroom too." Selina paused and got a far off look in her eyes. "But it wasn't creepy at all. My family's ballroom was made out of marble, like this one, but the marble was white, so the ballroom always seemed light and cheery. There was a big, sweeping staircase that people walked down to get to the parties. And the wall that led from the ballroom to outside was made almost entirely of magical glass. Really, it was the grandest room in the whole house."   
  
"That really sounds lovely, Ms. Selina."   
  
Both Selina and Pamela jumped when they heard a voice behind them. They both whirled around only to find a tall, pale, handsome boy standing in the doorway of the dining hall. He was dressed in fine, stately black robes, and he looked right at home among the dark and chilly manor. Selina knew who the boy was almost immediately. Draco Malfoy, her stepson. Really, he was only three years younger than her.And a good two feet taller. She could have passed off as his little sister.   
  
"Mr. Malfoy," Pamela murmured, and Selina wondered why the young woman's attitude had taken a sudden damper. Pamela's eyes were trained on the floor again, and she looked very subdued. "I was just giving Ms. Selina the grand tour of the manor, and then we'll go to town and make arrangements for the ball."   
  
Draco nodded slowly, but his eyes were glued to Selina. A strange look played on his pointed face, and Selina wondered if her 'stepson' hated her. "She really ought to tend to those wedding presents before she goes to town," Draco said, and he finally looked away from Selina. "They're all piled up in the study, and my father will want them opened and sorted before he returns tomorrow evening." Again he turned his steely gray eyes on Selina. "If you want," he said softly, "I'll have a few of the house- elves pack them up into some carriages, and they can be sent over to your friend's house. I'd wager that she'd be only too happy to help you open them."   
  
Selina smiled faintly. "That would be nice," she said. "Thank you very much, Draco."   
  
Draco only nodded. "It's no trouble," he drawled. "My father instructed me to help you in any way possible while he was away." He passed the two young women then, making for a lone bowl of fruit that had magically appeared at the center of the table while they were talking. He grabbed an apple, bit into it, and then disappeared through a large door across the hall.   
  
"He's a strange one, isn't he?" Pamela asked the moment the door had slammed shut. She wore an amused expression.   
  
"Oh, he just lost his mother, and his father married a woman only three years older than him yesterday. He has every right to act strangely. I just wonder if he dislikes me at all." Selina said all that very slowly, and there was a touch of pity in her voice.   
  
"Oh, I'm sure he doesn't hate you. After all, this is the way things work in the high-class, European wizarding world. When a woman dies her widower is instantly on the rebound to find a new, younger wife." Pamela led Selina to the table where she pulled out a chair for her. After making sure Selina was settled Pamela sat down herself. Within seconds a large plate of eggs, bacon, and country potatoes-Selina's favorite-had appeared before her while a bowl of porridge materialized in front of Pamela.   
  
Selina swallowed her questions of the whole arranged marriage bit and focused on their food. "Pamela," she said, "don't you like eggs and bacon and such?"   
  
Pamela pushed aside her porridge and fixed Selina with a look that could only be described as bizarre. "Of course," she said in a voice that equaled her stare, "I like all those things, but I'm just a maid. That's how things work around here."   
  
Selina couldn't help but be appalled. "You mean you don't good food?" she asked. "That's outrageous! Why don't you complain to Ms. Laverne or Lucius?"   
  
"Because," Pamela said, and she sounded vexed now, "they're the ones who impose that rule!"   
  
Selina frowned deeply. "But isn't Ms. Laverne a servant as well? Does she eat,"-she took a spoonful of porridge and let the lumpy, grayish material fall back into the bowl-"slop like this?"   
  
Pamela looked uncomfortable now. "Ms. Laverne was Narcissa Malfoy's personal assistant as well, so she's been with the family for a while and has therefore gained a good deal of privileges. Narcissa Malfoy, I hear, demanded that Lucius Malfoy give Ms. Laverne good rooms, good food, and good clothing."   
  
"Then I'll demand the same for you!" Selina cried.   
  
Pamela didn't even bother holding in her rueful snort. "Oh, but Ms. Selina," she said. "Narcissa Malfoy had a good deal of power when she married your husband. She was rich, well known, and gave him an heir within the first year of their marriage. He would have given her most anything because of that. You, however, are a young Yankee girl brought over from Alabama. You and I have little power left in this household, and it will be long before anyone respects you as the real Mrs. Malfoy." Pamela looked around the large hall. "You see," she murmured, as if trying to make sure no one overheard them, "Narcissa Malfoy bought her reputation and power. You're going to have to work for yours."   
  
~*~   
  
Breakfast had been a solemn affair after Pamela's informative speech. The two women had gone to town after they had finished eating, and they spent a good deal of the day selecting the right kind of decorations and entertainment for their party. Pamela, being native to the small town they were shopping in, knew exactly what sort of things were to be expected at a Malfoy Ball. By the time they were finished it was getting dark.   
  
"You know what, Ms. Selina? I'm going to send you over to Ms. Riley's. I have some things to tie up here in town, but I'll be over to Ms. Riley's early tomorrow so we can go to the caterer's and pick out a menu." Pamela smiled as she helped Selina into the carriage. "Good evening, Ms. Selina. Sleep well this evening, and don't forget to open the wedding gifts."   
  
Selina smiled and nodded, waving to her maid as the driverless carriage got farther and farther from town. Selina knew that Riley's home-a mansion, she believed-was only a few miles from her own, but she had not expected it to be in the middle of the woodlands that bordered her manor. Riley's home was up a hill as well, and Selina began to feel nervous after a good thirty minutes had passed and there was still no sign of Riley's residence. The hairs on the back of her neck had begun to stand on end, and she had an awful feeling that these horses didn't know where they were going.   
  
Her suspicions were confirmed when the carriage gave a jarring halt and she was thrown-actually thrown!-from it. Selina hit the leave covered forest ground with a heavy 'thump', and before she could recover her senses the horses gave a terrified whiny and bolted. Selina called after them, but it was all in vain. The horses and the carriage disappeared into the trees within a matter of minutes. Wondering fearfully what it was that had scared them so badly, Selina stood and brushed the leaves off her now ruined robe. With a nervous shiver she looked around the tiny clearing she had been abandoned in. Seeing no path that could have led her back to humanity Selina set off downhill, reasoning that she would have to reach civilization soon enough.   
  
The woods were quiet that evening. Too quiet, in fact. No owls hooted back and forth to each other, no crickets chirped out their night song, and not even the wind seemed to blow. The stillness of it all unnerved Selina beyond anything describable, and she began to walk faster. It was almost as if she felt there was someone following her-someone who meant her great harm.   
  
For one terrifying moment Selina thought of her parents' killers.   
  
That was enough to get her running quickly through the woods, and when she heard another set of footsteps start out behind her she only picked up her pace. She didn't even stop when someone began to call her name.   
  
"Ms. Selina! Please, stop! Ms. Selina! I'm a servant of Ms. Riley's!"   
  
It wasn't until Selina allowed her ears to catch up with the rest of her that she realized just what the person was calling. She halted and turned to find a young boy-he could have been no older than fifteen-chasing after her. Immediately she felt very foolish. This boy? Her parents' murderer? Oh, Riley would never let her hear the end of it now.   
  
"I presume that you are Ms. Selina?" the young boy asked once he had caught up to her. Strangely enough he was not out of breath, which Selina was.   
  
"Yes, I am. And I am so sorry for running. It's just that, well.I thought you were someone else." Selina smiled brightly and the boy blushed bright pink.   
  
"It's alright, Ms. Selina," he assured her, looking at his feet. "I'm just glad we were able to find you. Your carriage arrived in Ms. Riley's courtyard just twenty minutes ago, and I was able to trace their path back to you. Come with me. The carriage Ms. Riley sent for you isn't far from here. Oh, and by the way, my name's Wren."   
  
Selina smiled and followed Wren through a large patch of forest shrubs before reaching another clearing where a second carriage awaited them. After helping Selina into the carriage Wren grabbed the sidebar on the carriage and swung up onto a small seat at the front of the carriage. Grabbing the reins he cried, "Go!" to the horses and they began to move rapidly. It took only a few minutes before they arrived into the courtyard. Riley was pacing there, and the second Selina stepped out of the carriage she found her friend's arms shaking her soundly.   
  
"Don't you ever," Riley screeched, "scare me like that again! Wands and cauldrons, Selina! I even owled your little stepson, I was so worried!"   
  
As if on cue Draco stepped out from the open doorway of Riley's castle-like home. "Yes, and I must say, what happened was quite peculiar. Did you stop and get out of the carriage?" he asked.   
  
Selina shook her head and told Riley and Draco the whole story, save the part where she ran terrified through the woods. "What kind of carriages does your father buy?" Riley demanded, turning on Draco. "He ought to have them checked!"   
  
Draco, quite taken aback by the furious Southern woman, backed away towards the gate. "I assure you," he muttered. "My father will have them all checked post haste. Now, if you don't mind, I'm off! I have to return to school early in the morning, and I still have to pack." With a bow to Riley and a nod to Selina Draco leapt into the carriage that Wren was still seated on. With another cry the carriage was off again, leaving Selina and Riley alone in the courtyard.   
  
"Funny gentleman, that stepson of yours is," Riley murmured, her golden- hazel eyes clouded with an unreadable emotion.   
  
"You know," Selina said, "you're the second person to say that about him today. My maid-Pamela-thinks he's a bit odd too."   
  
"A bit off is more like it. He doesn't really walk, you know. He glides, sort of, and he slithers too." Riley turned to Selina. "I mean he actually slithers, just like a snake!"   
  
Selina sighed. "I still can't believe I'm a stepmother. I'm too young to be his stepmother."   
  
Riley squeezed her friend's shoulder comfortingly and led her inside to a warm entrance room. "You're to young to be anyone's stepmother, Selly," she said. "From what I can tell of your husband, he's a real jerk. He was horrid to the service last night at the wedding, and he just about blew a gasket when he found out you hadn't made it to the honeymoon suite." Riley paused and fixed Selina with a bemused expression. "Where exactly did you go? I was hoping that you had run off to hide, but apparently he found you."   
  
Selina sat down on the large staircase and sighed deeply. "I hid in a motel, and Lucius was not at all happy when he found me." For a moment there was a flicker of pain of Selina's face as memories of the night before returned to her.   
  
Riley cursed under her breath and sat down beside her friend, pulling her into a hug. "What did the bastard do you Selly?" she asked in a half whispered, half hissed voice. "What did the bastard do to you?"   
  
Selina hadn't expected to actually relate to Riley what had happened the night before with Lucius, and she had expected even less to cry when doing so. Riley listened intently, though, like she always had throughout their years as best friends. When Selina was done with her wedding-night tale Riley was very quiet and very dangerous looking.   
  
"I knew that he was a scumbag," she snarled, standing and pulling Selina up with her. "He nearly raped you, Selina! I mean, putting the full body bind curse on someone and then having sex with them-isn't that a tad bit pushy?"   
  
Selina could only nod and wipe away her tears. It had felt good to tell someone else how bad her wedding night had been, and she felt a good deal better. "I'd just like to get those wedding presents open," she said softly. "Are there many?"   
  
Riley stopped leading Selina down the hallway and snorted. "Are there many?" she asked, but she seemed to be in a better mood. "Selina, there are more presents in that room,"-she pointed to a door-"than the two of us have gotten for all our birthdays put together! I guess a lot of people want to kiss up to the 'great' Lucius Malfoy. Apparently in Britain and Ireland and Scotland and France it's a wizarding custom for the bride to rate the wedding gifts and pass her evaluations on to her husband. He then treats each family by the rating his bride gave their gift. A man like Lucius had a lot of power, and everyone wants you to like their gift."   
  
Selina sighed. "I wish I could have married a boy back home. You know, I was supposed to go out on a date with Tommy Powell tomorrow, but I guess nothing will ever come of that. There are all these new customs I've never heard of, and I have to dress a certain way, and it doesn't seem like any of this is worth it!"   
  
Riley opened the door to the wedding-gift room, which she told Selina was normally her study. "And I hear that you're supposed to pop out some kids soon," she informed.   
  
Though this was probably the most surprising and unwelcome of all the new traditions Selina didn't hear her. She was too busy staring at boxes upon boxes of brightly wrapped presents. She had thought that Riley had been joking.   
  
"Dear Merlin," she whispered, walking over to a package that was twice her height. It was wrapped in flashy silver paper and a small tag on the side said, 'To Lucius and his beautiful bride, Love Uncle Octavian and Aunt Pandora'. Upon unwrapping the gift Selina found it to be a gigantic statue of herself. She was sitting down on what appeared to be a stone loveseat, and she had a dainty parasol in hand.   
  
"Jesus, Selina!" Riley was saying. "Where did they get a picture of you to carve something like that?"   
  
Selina shrugged. "I don't have a clue," she murmured. Next she turned to a small sized black box tied with a peach colored ribbon. Pinned to the ribbon was another small note: To my new cousin-in-law, Selina: Diamonds are truly a girl's best friend! Sincerely, Dionyza'. A small gasp escaped the back of Selina's throat as she opened the box and discovered that it was chalk full of diamonds!   
  
"Oh, Selly!" Riley muttered. "If that's a little preview of what's to come, then let's get opening these gifts!"   
  
Selina was all too happy to oblige.   
  
~*~   
  
Sometimes I wonder if you know just how much danger you're in, Selina Julliard-or would that be Selina Malfoy now?   
  
You can change names, but you can't change your bloodlines. I've found you, and it didn't take long. You think that little episode in the woods was frightening? Oh, you haven't seen the half of it yet!  
  
Just you wait and see.   
  
~*~   
  
Selina sat bolt upright in bed, her right hand clutched to her breast. She was breathing hard and her whole body was soaked with sweat. She would have let out an ear-splitting screech but, when she opened her mouth, she found that there was no air her lungs. It took a few moments for the panic she had felt to subside, and when it did all she could remember of her nightmare was a pair of icy cold blue eyes. Knowing full well she would never be able to fall asleep again Selina rolled out of bed and trooped into the guest bathroom. It was exactly like her one at Malfoy Manor, and all she had to do was wish for a steaming hot 'wake-me-up' bubble bath.   
  
Selina soaked in the sudsy water for a good hour before she was able to pull herself away from the warm haven. By then the nightmare and the icy blue eyes seemed like a thing of the distant past, so she didn't bother mentioning it to Pamela, who was waiting in her guestroom with a selection of robes. After selecting a stylish forest green robe and an emerald brooch Selina joined Riley in an early morning breakfast.   
  
"You fell asleep last night," Riley said while biting into a cantaloupe, "while rating the presents, so I just finished for you. I gave everyone good marks, so Lucius can't get mad at anyone."   
  
Selina smiled. "Thanks, Rile. I owe you one. I can't believe all the 'duties' I have now that I hold the highly sought after position of Mrs. Lucius Malfoy."   
  
Riley set down the cantaloupe. "You'll be interested to know, I'm sure, that it is a highly sought after position. Lucius Malfoy holds a lot of power here in Europe. Whether it legit," Riley lowered her voice, "or not."   
  
Selina set aside her food as well and leaned in closer to her friend. Pamela, who had been leafing through what Selina assumed to be her daily planner, was allowed to join the group. "You still think he's bad news, don't you?" Selina asked. "What've you heard now?"   
  
Riley suddenly became very interested in her untouched eggs. "Oh, nothing much. Just that he runs with a dark crowd. Tell me, Selina. How many attendants at the wedding were prosecuted as Death Eaters? I'll tell you how many: thirty-eight. And I bet there were more who never even went to trial."   
  
Pamela nodded. "I heard stuff like that too. My mother didn't want me to come and work here because of the Malfoys' reputation."   
  
Selina leaned back in her chair and took time to process the information. Death Eaters had always been a far-away subject for her. Voldemort's terrible first reign had never truly spread to North or South America. Sure, those days had been dark times, but the muggle killings and Death Eaters had been a whole ocean away. Serendipity's barely taught about Voldemort's first reign-partly because the American Ministry of Magic was embarrassed to admit that they didn't lend any help-much less what the Death Eaters had actually done. She did know enough, however, to understand how dangerous Lucius Malfoy could possibly be.   
  
"What else have you heard?" Selina asked Riley.   
  
"Lucius Malfoy is very much against muggle-borns," Riley replied, making a wry face. "Guess I shouldn't tell him about my mother, should I?"   
  
Selina nodded. She was about to respond when a high, frightened gasp escaped Pamela's lips.   
  
"Mr. Malfoy!"   
  
"Indeed," Lucius murmured. Selina shrank into her chair, her green eyes wide. Lucius had, since their last meeting, acquired a walking cane. She wondered to herself if he had ever hit his previous wife with the cane.But Lucius was talking again and she thought it best to listen. "I had decided to stop by this morning, to pick up Selina, and here I find you all having a warm little chitchat about me!" His fake smile disappeared, replaced by a look of cold indifference. "Hurry up, and get into the carriage. Draco overslept and missed his carriage. His school requires that a guardian now goes with him to the school and deliver him personally."   
  
Selina's relaxed somewhat. Maybe he wouldn't be too upset. "We're going to go to the school with him?" she asked.   
  
Lucius shook his head. "No, darling," he drawled coldly, "you'll take Draco to the school. I have to go over some important papers with one of my assistants, Arielle DeSanders. I'm afraid that you'll have to brave this journey alone. Ms. Duraford,"-he shot a venomous look at Pamela-"will be busy bringing together the ball, and I'm sure that Ms. Riley has better things to do."   
  
With one last frightened look to Riley and Pamela, Selina was all but forced to the door. Two carriages awaited out front, and Lucius shoved Selina towards the second one. Draco was just barely visible through the cloudy-glass windows, but it was hard not to miss the rail thin top-heavy blonde in the carriage Lucius started towards. Without so much as goodbye her aristocratic husband stepped into the first carriage and, with a heavy thump to the side of the carriage, he was gone. Much more slowly than Lucius, Selina made her way to her carriage. To her surprise, when she reached it, the door swung open, and Draco helped her in.   
  
"Couldn't make it, could he?" he asked, and this time Selina heard just the slightest tinge of hurt.   
  
"No. He had to go to a meeting. I guess I'll be taking you up to-Where do you go to school? I always forget the name."   
  
"Hogwarts. I'm going to Hogwarts," Draco muttered. The carriage had started by now, and Selina lay back onto the soft velvet cushions. She could tell that Draco didn't want to talk, and, based on the events of the last fifteen minutes, neither did she. 


	2. Chapter 1

Title: Marrying Lucius Malfoy Rating: R Summary: Poor, poor Selina Julliard. In just two weeks her whole family is dead, she's in deep financial trouble, and the only way out of debt is to marry recently widowed Lucius Malfoy. Just when she thinks things could get worse, Selina begins to get the feeling that whoever murdered her parents and sister has come to finish her off. Murder, mystery, scandal, romance, and much, much more!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. They all belong to J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., and several other big companies. No money is being made of this story.  
  
A/N: First off I'd like to dedicate this first chapter to my beta, Helena Malfoy. I'd also like to mention that this story takes place in 1996. Selina and Riley are 19, Draco is 16, and Lucius is 41. Voldemort is slowly rising but has not taken over quite yet. And, as always, reviews are most welcome! Tell what you like and don't like-but try not to flame!  
  
  
  
It was a cold, dark day that threatened to rain. Blackish-gray storm clouds had begun to gather twenty minutes ago and the group of witches and wizards gathered in the Hogsmeade Cemetery were looking up at the sky with worried expressions on their faces. Though there were many people gathered at the funeral of Narcissa Malfoy not many were there because they had loved her or felt close to her. To be honest, Narcissa had been something of an ice queen. As the wife of a Malfoy, one of the purest of magical bloodlines in Europe, she considered herself to be better than all the others wives of Dark Wizards.  
  
In fact, not even her husband, Lucius Malfoy, seemed terribly saddened by the murder of his wife. A few gossips that knew the family whispered amongst themselves that it had been Lucius that had poisoned her, and not some bad fish or whatever excuses the forensic scientists had come up with.  
  
Only her sixteen-year-old son, Draco, seemed to be sad. He stood next to his father, muffling his sobs into his black scarf while his two cronies watched him uncomfortably. Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle were two human hulks, not good for much save flanking Draco and looking ominous. Finally the service ended and the coffin was lowered into the cold earth. After dropping a black rose, which his mother had grown, Draco followed his father on foot towards the various cars parked at the cemetery's gates.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy! Yoo-hoo! Mr. Malfoy!" Lucius and Draco turned to see a tall, bony, read head woman in a long green coat rushing towards them. Draco watched as his father gave a weary sigh and ran a hand threw his blonde hair.  
  
"Go along to the car, Draco," Lucius said, and Draco sensed that his father was seeing this woman out of duty and not out of will. "I'll be home in a few hours. If I'm not then don't wait up." Draco opened his mouth in protest but his father cut him off. "Go, Draco. If you really don't want to be alone than go home with one of your schoolmates."  
  
Draco nodded and trudged off. He knew well, though, who that woman must be. He thought back to a conversation he had heard between Mrs. Goyle and Mrs. Parkinson, two days after his mother had died. It had been one of those it- never-leaves the room conversations, and Draco knew they never meant him to hear it, but he had been hiding in the closet as Mrs. Goyle began to tell Mrs. Parkinson about a rumor she had just heard.  
  
~*~  
  
"He'll be looking for a wife in days, I'm sure," Mrs. Goyle said. Draco knew better than to speculate who they were talking about. He knew that his father considered himself to be back on the market and that it would only be a matter of days before he had a stepmother.  
  
"Oh, but Marcia!" Mrs. Parkinson cried, her eyes widening in mock surprise, "so soon after Narcissa's death?"  
  
Mrs. Goyle had snorted before saying, "So soon? My dear, Lucius Malfoy has wanted a new wife long before Narcissa died. Word around town is that he has a new girl all lined up. Selina Julliard is her name, and she's only three years older than Draco!"  
  
Mrs. Parkinson gasped with a mixture of delight and horror. "Only nineteen? But why would the poor thing's parents marry her off so young, I wonder?"  
  
Mrs. Goyle chuckled deviously. "Oh, didn't you know? Esme and Simon Julliard were murdered one week ago, along with their other daughter, Sydney, and Esme's nephew, Bruce," she paused long enough to allow Mrs. Parkinson another gasp, "and she has no other family to speak of. The only woman left that she really knows is a lady by the name of Debra Smith, her godmother. Ms. Smith set it all up, for her own reasons, of course." There was another pause. "She's an American southern belle, I hear."  
  
"Really, now! When will the wedding be?"  
  
"Whenever a dowry is worked out, I suppose. Selina isn't even coming to meet Lucius until the wedding day," Mrs. Goyle sighed sadly. "I do pity the poor thing.Coming all the way to a new country to marry a man over two times her age! And to op it all off is Lucius's less than shining reputation."  
  
"And you really think that he'll marry her? I heard there was a lovely Italian veela in line!" Now Mrs. Parkinson sounded doubly interested.  
  
"Oh, I'm sure he will. From what I hear the Julliards were very rich.Lucius would be acquiring all her wealth and property as well!"  
  
"How awful.But what did you think of Pansy's new dress robes.?"  
  
~*~  
  
The ladies had tired of the subject and the conversation had turned from Draco's new stepmother to Pansy Parkinson's new dress robes. As Draco watched his father and the woman talking animatedly, he sunk into the seat of the car. His mother's death had been a hard blow, though he had never really shared a great mother-son relationship with his mum. But he had loved her, simply because she was his mother.  
  
As the car pulled away from the graveyard, Draco stared up at the dark gray sky. He doubted his mother was up there, though, for she had been nothing like an angel in her lifetime. But the thought was comforting, and all the way home he imagined that Malfoys became angels when they died.  
  
~*~  
  
Lucius was tiring of Debra Smith. He dearly hoped that when he was married to this Selina Julliard that he would not have to put up with her annoying godmother as well. Lucius had only seen a few pictures of her, but already he anticipated marrying Selina. She was pretty in a classic sort of way, pleasantly plump with a full head of copper curls and lively green eyes, though she was nothing like the beauty Narcissa had been. Maybe she would bear him more children.more potential heirs, lest something happen to Draco.  
  
"So, Mr. Malfoy, do we have a deal? I'll give you four thousand galleons for a dowry and you'll marry Selina?" Debra asked in her southern drawl, crossing her arms and staring at the tall blond man. Lucius didn't answer. Already the marriage was starting to sound business like.  
  
"Very well. I agree to the terms of this.marriage. Come to my manor tomorrow and we can work out the date, location, and technicalities of the wedding over tea. Be no later than four; I have to see Draco off at Platform nine-and-three-quarters at seven tomorrow evening. Is this all understood?" Lucius looked down his pointed nose at Debra, who was smiling.  
  
"It is all understood Mr. Malfoy. I think this is the beginning of a long and fruitful marriage." Both parties shook hands and turned the opposite ways, though both were smirking for the same reason.  
  
~*~  
  
At that very same time, over two thousand miles away, in the state of Alabama, the girl called Selina Julliard cried silently into a white silk handkerchief. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see her best friend, Riley Bryce, was crying too.  
  
"We'll get through this, girl," Riley whispered, squeezing Selina's arm. "We'll get through this together." Selina smiled a little through her tears and nodded.  
  
She and Riley had been friends since they had attended Serendipity's Academy and Preparatory School for Witches, located in Louisiana. They had met on the small, private boat that took the thirty girls that attended Serendipity up a bayou and to the school. Unlike the wizarding schools in Europe, where there were great, open spaces of land to hide gigantic schools, American wizarding schools were often only sixty or so miles away from small, remote muggle towns. Serendipity was fifty-eight miles from a tiny muggle farmhouse, but only ten miles from Legerdemain's Magical Institute for Wizards, the source of men for girls who attended Serendipity.  
  
Selina was a small, easily frightened girl at the time. It was her first time away from her mother and Bruce-her cousin and best friend. While the other girls mingled on the deck of the boat Selina had slipped through the door that had led down to the cargo area of the boat, running smack dab into Marilee Justine Bryse, or Riley, as Marilee preferred to be called. After many apologies had been exchanged, Riley had all but dragged Selina up to the deck, introducing her to all four of her sisters: Sara, Rebecca, Penny, and Luella.  
  
From there on out the two had become attached at the hip. Riley was wild, outspoken, and, when called for, rude and sadistic. Where Selina was timid Riley was bold. Every other summer, for two weeks, Selina staid with Riley, who came from Atlanta, Georgia. After graduating from Serendipity Riley had moved to Jasperite, Alabama, though, a small all-wizarding community and Selina's home town. And, for a while, everything had been perfect.  
  
"It's almost time for you to say your part about Bruce," she whispered back, jerking her head to the front of the church, where two black caskets stood, the lids on both of them closed. It had been Riley's idea to have a joint funeral between Bruce and Sydney. The two girls had already attended Selina's mother's and father's funeral, and Riley had said that they might as well eliminate one more reason to bawl their eyes out  
  
The murders had been a total surprise, of course. Selina had been out that night, partying at Riley's cousin's boyfriend's birthday bash. She had had to sneak out, though, and later the detectives had said thank Merlin she did. The murderers-it was determined that there were three-had been on a rampage and they would have killed anyone who got in their way. When Selina had asked what the murderers wanted, someone had answered that a young girl such as herself shouldn't be putting her nose where it didn't belong.  
  
That was all she knew. Since the murder was still under investigation no one could tell her anything, but every other day Detective Ilene Hampbell would stop by Debra Smith's house-and Selina's current location-to check up on her. Selina's thoughts were cut short when Riley stood up and walked to the head of the church, standing behind a grand podium. Bruce had been her off and on boyfriend for the past three years. His murder had hit her harder than even Selina.  
  
As Riley began to speak of her relationship with Bruce, Selina allowed her mind to drift to her relationship with Sydney, her older sister. Sydney had been something of an enigma to Selina. She had been nine years older than Selina and had been to Serendipity when Selina was barely one. Though she had come home in the summers, she usually left for a friend's house four weeks before the school year began and, therefore, she and Selina had never really gotten to know each other.  
  
When Sydney left home and moved in with her boyfriend, Darryl Simmons, Selina had been only nine. After that Sydney only returned to the Julliard Estate three times, all three when Selina had been away. When she had turned up on the doorstep a week before her murder, Selina hadn't recognized her. Sydney had dyed her hair deep brown and cropped it into a hairstyle just short of being a military crew cut.  
  
The night Sydney had arrived, there had been a long and lengthy argument between her and Selina's parents. The room had been soundproofed by a spell, though, so Selina had no clue what the argument was about. Later that same night she had been reading in bed when she heard a knock on the door. It had been none other than Sydney, dressed in a flimsy nightgown that seemed far too girlish for the image that she put up. The conversation that ensued was one that Selina would never forget.  
  
~*~  
  
Selina was shocked. Did Sydney just say what she thought she said?  
  
"Surprised, huh?" Sydney asked, and a faint smile flickered on her lips for a moment. "We aren't that distant, are we? Honestly, all I said was that I had a present for you!" She held out the box she had been carrying. "Here. Take it. Think of it as a belated birthday gift."  
  
Selina held the box as if it were a ticking time bomb. Never in her nineteen years had she received so much as a dust bunny from her sister, and now a present? There had to be some sort of catch. But she opened the box anyway, just to be polite. Inside was a simple locket, rather large and heart shaped.  
  
"Open it, kid," Sydney said, and Selina did so. Inside was a picture of Sydney, as well as a picture of Selina.  
  
"Gee, Syd," Selina has stammered, utterly shocked, "it's great."  
  
"Thanks. I found it at a jewelry store in Egypt. It made me think of you.Don't know why, though," Sydney said, shrugging. Selina got the feeling that not much of her sister's time was dwelt on thinking of her.  
  
"Well, I'll wear it always," Selina said, trying to make the moment special. Sydney had just nodded and sat down on the bed.  
  
"So, we never really got to know each other, did we?" Sydney asked, and before Selina could say anything, she cut her off. "Well, I can't change the past. You know, Selina, I thought I was doing everything so right, by not including anyone except Darryl and Tyra. But now.with so little time.I can see that I did it all wrong.  
  
"I thought that by distancing myself from you that I was protecting you. But if I had only listened to everyone.If I had only taken the advice that was so often given to me then what must come to pass might not have ever come into possibility. Now no one knows, and no one can stop what is coming! And all because I was too prideful, all because I couldn't see what was right in front of me." Sydney then turned to Selina and looked her straight in the eyes. "Promise me something, Selly," she said in an eerie whisper.  
  
"Anything," Selina had answered, and Sydney almost smiled.  
  
"Promise me that you'll never play with fire. Promise me that you keep your nose out of things that aren't your concern and that you won't mess with what ought to be left alone. Promise me this, Selly, promise me!" And then she had fled the room, leaving Selina wondering of her sister's sanity.  
  
~*~  
  
After that Selina had only seen Sydney a total of four times, and at none of those times did Sydney mention their late night talk, or the locket, or the promise. After the third day Selina dismissed it as an emotional breakdown on her sister's part concerning too much work. Only now did she begin to see it as a possible connection to the murders. But again, like so many times before that week, just when she was getting deep into thought, someone or something interrupted them.  
  
This time it was because the service had ended. People were beginning to stand and make their way to the caskets to say their last respects. Selina walked in the opposite direction. She had seen too many coffins in the past week and she wasn't intent on seeing any more, even if it was her sister and cousin.  
  
~*~  
  
Once outside the church, Selina decided to just apparate home, instead of waiting for Riley. When she arrived seconds later in the foyer of Debra's posh old plantation home, she found her fifty-something godmother rushing up and down the grand marble staircase, throwing just about everything Selina owned into three large suitcases.  
  
When the obviously harried woman caught sight of her goddaughter, she smiled and straitened up. "Ah, Sugar.Just the girl I was looking for. Where were you? Over at Riley's?" Selina rolled her eyes. Besides being overly flamboyant, rude, and forgetting anything the least bit important, Debra had a horrid habit never calling Selina by her real name. Instead she was always referred to as 'Sugar'.  
  
"I was at Sydney and Bruce's funeral," Selina replied stepping over one of the suitcases.  
  
Debra gasped in horror and clapped both hands to her forehead. "That was today? Oh, lord, I feel so terrible not being there.Was it a nice service?" Selina nodded. "Well, that's good. And Sugar, could you run over there and snap that suitcase shut? We're leaving tonight and I don't-"  
  
"Leaving for where?" Selina asked, cocking an eyebrow. Debra Smith was hardly the one to splurge on a trip of such a length that she had to pack most of Selina's robes.  
  
"For Bridgington," her godmother replied. Selina's curiosity skyrocketed. Bridgington was a small all wizarding town-the only one in Europe besides Hogsmeade-that had been founded two years ago by one Lucius Malfoy, a rather shady character in Selina's opinion. Though Bridgington was small and new, it had prospered greatly since the British Ministry of Magic had declared it an official town.  
  
"Why there? That's all the way in a different country! Do you know someone who lives in that area?"  
  
Debra paused a moment and sighed. "Well, sort of. Now listen, Sugar, because you probably won't want to hear what I have to say, and you'll definitely be upset with me, but believe me when I say that I had only you in mind." Selina didn't like where this conversation was going. "You see, Sugar, you're parents were in a lot of financial trouble. They didn't want you or Bruce to know, but they were.  
  
"They owed money to some big company; I never knew what its name was. But your mum told me one day, and said that if they were to die before you reached the age of twenty-one, that I should try and provide for you the best way that I can. And.Well, I found a way for you to keep all your families land and most of its wealth.  
  
"Now, before you get all excited and thankful let me remind you that for everything in life-especially the good things-there is a price. Nothing is absolutely free, and so, to keep all your family's assets you have to marry."  
  
For a while Selina was too shocked to speak. First her parents had had money problems, and then Debra found a way to keep all the land, but to do so she had to get married? It sounded like one of the trashy romance novels Riley devoured. No doubt the man would be three times her age, have at least four children, and walk with a cane.  
  
"Oh, Deb!" she murmured after a while. "I can't get married! I don't even know the man! And what about my friends here? I'd rather lose my money, land, and everything than to leave Alabama and marry some old man!"  
  
Debra put her hands on her hips and glared at her young goddaughter. "Well, Sugar, there's no choice. You'll be marching down the aisle in a few days, whether you like it or not! As for Riley, she can be the maid of honor. I worked it all out with Mr. Malfoy. He said that he'd allow Riley to live in a small country house nearby, and pay for her living conditions, if it'll make you happy."  
  
Yet again Selina had a piece of information to digest. Marry Mr. Malfoy? Wasn't he British? And did she mean Draco or Lucius? Either way, neither man appealed to her as a life partner.  
  
"Lucius Malfoy is a very handsome man," she said, answering Selina's unasked question. The poor girl felt herself cringe. She was marrying the father of a sixteen-year-old boy.She was marrying a man whose dead wife was still warm in her grave! The very sickness of it all became too much for Selina and she fell to the ground in an unconscious heap. 


	3. Chapter 2

Title: Marrying Lucius Malfoy Rating: R Summary: Poor, poor Selina Julliard. In just two weeks her whole family is dead, she's in deep financial trouble, and the only way out of debt is to marry recently widowed Lucius Malfoy. Just when she thinks things could get worse, Selina begins to get the feeling that whoever murdered her parents and sister has come to finish her off. Murder, mystery, scandal, romance, and much, much more!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. They all belong to J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., and several other big companies. No money is being made of this story.  
  
A/N: Sorry for the long wait! The next chapter will be up soon!  
It didn't matter that she had threatened to jump off the roof, that she had promised to marry any other man, and that she begged and pleaded not to be forced to walk down the aisle at her young age. Selina still sat in the large, drafty, nicely furnished changing room of St. Peter's Cathedral, dressed from head to foot in white. All the bridesmaids-cousins and nieces of Lucius Malfoy-had filed out a moment ago. Only Riley remained in the designated bridal room, putting finishing touches on Selina's hairstyle.  
  
"Hey, Selly, I thought brides were supposed to smile on their wedding day," she said after a while. Selina could only shrug and look at herself in the mirror.  
  
Donned in a flowing white wedding gown with a lacey top, a billowing skirt opening onto pale gold petticoats, and a veil to top it all of, Selina looked every inch the blushing bride she was meant to be. Riley had managed, after four bottles of Tangle-Be-Free's Rose Shampoo, to smooth Selina's wild curls into a thick auburn mane of waves. A thin silver chain was clasped around Selina's waist and hanging from it was the Julliard family crest, overlapping that of the Malfoy family crest. It was traditional that bride's wore the 'Family Clasp' to signify the binding of two people, but Selina could have cared less about tradition, looks, or finery that day.  
  
It had taken two weeks by boat, broom, and train to reach Bridgington, where the wedding would take place. She had arrived at the 'Grande Hotel' late last night and had been awoken early that morning by Debra, who had chosen a pale green off-the-shoulder dress for herself. Her bony shoulders stuck out oddly, making Debra look like an awkward giraffe, but Selina was too polite to point that out. The whole day leading up to the exact moment had been a whirlwind of getting dressed, being made up, and having her hairdo redone fifteen million times before Riley stepped in.  
  
So far Selina hadn't caught a glimpse of her bridegroom, but, as her godmother had said, everyone told her for a man of forty-four he looked quite good. She still wanted to hop on a broom and fly into the sunset.  
  
"Sugar, Riley! Y'all get out here!" Debra cried. "The wedding's about to start and Mr. Malfoy can't be kept waiting, now can he?" Selina sighed and followed Debra's orders. She knew not who was going to give her away at the end of the aisle, but she had heard from Riley that it would be one of Lucius "friends".  
  
Riley was indeed right. A tall, pale, blonde man who introduced himself as Lucius's brother, Lucifer, took Selina's right arm and linked it to his.  
  
"Nervous, are you?" Lucifer asked when he felt Selina's arm tremble. The organ music had just begun and already three bridesmaids and groomsmen were down the long aisle.  
  
"Would you be nervous if you were in my place?" Selina asked after two more bridesmaids and groomsmen had left.  
  
"Lucius isn't someone you should fear. I won't lie and say that you're marrying the best man in the world, or even Britain." Lucifer paused to look down at Selina, and he sighed sadly. "But as long as you're well mannered and quiet then you have nothing to worry about. Lucius knows how to treat a women well, but he knows how to keep them in line as well."  
  
Lucifer Malfoy's words confused-and maybe even frightened- Selina. What was he talking about? Sure, there were rumors about less than commendable deeds that the Malfoys had committed over the past centuries, but she thought that the Ministry had found Lucius innocent on the charges of being a Death Eater, right? Her grandfather himself had told her before he died that Lucius Malfoy was just a man trying to redeem himself in the eyes of the world.  
  
Still contemplating about her husband-to-be, Selina was quite startled when the bridal music began and the doors to the church swung open.  
  
~*~  
  
Lucius betrayed no emotion as the bridal march began. He saw, at the far end of the church, his younger brother Lucifer appear. On the arm of Lucifer was the girl-or woman, rather-who had to be Selina Julliard. She was a bit plumper than the pictures had shown her to be and a wee bit taller as well, but Lucius was still pleased with his new bride. Even if she wasn't the most beautiful wife of all his pureblood associates, she was the youngest and most spry, and for that Lucius knew he would be envied.  
  
As Lucifer and Selina drew closer, Lucius could tell that she was more than a little frightened. Her green eyes were trained on the red carpet ahead of her, and the bridal bouquet shook in her hands. Soon, though, she reached him, and looked up for the first time. Lucius did his best to give a reassuring smile but Lucifer made a 'stop it' gesture and Lucius went back to looking cold and piercing.  
  
Finally the bridal march ended and the wizard whom Debra had hired to perform the ceremonies-called Father Harris-stepped forward. "We are gathered here today to witness the joining of Lucius Aurelio Malfoy and Selina Amberly Julliard in holy matrimony. May they never no hunger, may they always know friendship, and may they be blessed with many children." The elderly man stopped and fixed his gaze upon Selina and Lucifer. "May I ask who is presenting the bride today?"  
  
"I am," Lucifer said, and he bowed and stepped away from Selina.  
  
Father Harris turned to Lucius. "Father Harris turned to Megan. "Lucius Aurelio Malfoy, in your heart and soul, do you accept this woman, Selina Julliard, to be your wife, bound by the law and your love for her, through all the obstacles that you might face?"  
  
Lucius replied quickly, "Yes. I do."  
  
Father Harris turned to Selina. "Selina Amberly Julliard, in your heart and soul, do you accept this man, Lucius Malfoy, to be your husband, bound by the law and your love for him, through all the obstacles that you might face?"  
  
Selina wouldn't even look Lucius in the eye as she whispered, "I do."  
  
A dramatic melody began to play and Father Harris said, "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."  
  
The kiss was quick and pained. As soon as was prudent Selina broke away. Lucius locked arms with her and they walked stiffly down the aisle.  
  
It was the beginning to a most troubled marriage.  
  
~*~  
  
Selina had avoided Lucius the whole night, or at least as much as was possible. Being near her husband-if you could call him that-made her insides crawl and her heart beat quickly, like a small animal being chased by a predator. Dinner was the longest period of time that they had to sit together. After that Selina had faked having a headache and rushed out to the concierge to ask where her room was.  
  
The concierge, a kindly woman of middle age, had smiled and replied that Selina would be staying in the penthouse apartment.  
  
Selina had just laughed and said, "Oh, but I'm just one person! Surely I won't need all that."  
  
The concierge had given what Selina guessed to be a coy smile. "But your husband requested it.You see, the penthouse apartment is also our Honeymoon Suite."  
  
And then she remembered. She was a married woman. Tonight was her first night as Mrs. Lucius Malfoy.But surely she wouldn't be expected to have sex with the slimy jerk! He was old enough to be her father, for heaven's sake! The world began to reel.  
  
"Mrs. Malfoy?" the concierge asked. Selina looked up. The plump woman looked worried. "Is something wrong, Mrs. Malfoy?"  
  
Selina clamped her hands over her ears. "Please!" she begged in a voice she did not recognize. "Please don't ever call me by that name!"  
  
The concierge looked downright frightened now. "Oh, lord, what's wrong dear?" she asked, stepping out from around the desk. But Selina couldn't hear her. The despair of her predicament had hit her head on.  
  
Her whole family had been murdered just a little over a week ago. She was in big financial trouble. And now, as if things hadn't been bad enough, she was now Mrs. Lucius Malfoy. And she had to share the 'Honeymoon Suite' with him. Unless she could play off the sympathy that this woman was showing her.  
  
"It was an arranged marriage," Selina said, doing her best to look helpless. "Oh, and my dear mother.She'd die if she saw me like this! The wife of Lucius Malfoy! Oh, ma'am, if I could only slip away unnoticed."  
  
The concierge looked doubtful. "Oh, ma'am-" "Call me Ms. Julliard," Selina cut in.  
  
"Oh, Ms. Julliard. I couldn't possibly lie to Mr. Malfoy. He owns this hotel and everything else in Bridgington. If I were fired from here because I withheld the secrets of his new bride's whereabouts then I'd have to totally relocate. I am terribly sorry about your mother, though, and I wish I could help, but.I just can't." The concierge couldn't meet Selina's eyes and she suddenly found herself busy with the task of cleaning up her desk. So busy, in fact, that she didn't notice Selina slip out the front door.  
  
~*~  
  
It had been nice-pretending she wasn't married. For a while Selina had just wandered around Bridgington, taking in all the sights. She had, of course, stripped out of her wedding dress and taken to walking about her slip, which resembled a simple sleeveless dress. Finally, when the clock in the middle of the Bridgington ton square struck eleven, Selina had rented a room in the nearest inn.  
  
After paying up front Selina had rushed into her room and drawn a warm, steamy bath. She was just getting settled when the door to her room was kicked open. Selina gasped and sat up in the tub.  
  
'Oh please,' she thought. 'Don't let it be him!'  
  
But it was.  
  
"Selina Malfoy! Get out here this instant!" Selina tried to make no sound as her new "husband" pounded on the door. "It's embarrassing enough that you left our reception early, but to arrive at our Honeymoon Suite and find my bride gone? I swear by Merlin that if you don't open this door right now I'll break it down with my bear hands!"  
  
Selina sighed. As much as she didn't want to face her "husband", the meeting was inevitable. "Hold your horses, will you?" she called, and the pounding stopped. After wrapping a towel around herself, Selina threw the bathroom door open. In front of her stood Lucius and Lucifer Malfoy. Lucifer shot Selina a pitying glance before he slunk over to the busted open door.  
  
"I'll see you later, Lucius," he muttered, and, just like that, Lucifer disappeared. After taking one look at Lucius's furious face Selina wished that she too could disappear.  
  
"Are you happy?" Lucius asked, arching his right eyebrow. When Selina didn't answer, Lucius just continued. "You have successfully humiliated me in front all of Britain's most powerful wizarding families! Lucius Malfoy, stood up on his wedding night! Do you know what this will do to my reputation?" he snarled in Selina's face. Selina was beginning to feel frightened. She had heard that Lucius Malfoy had a bad temper.  
  
"Are you listening to me, Selina?" Lucius asked, grabbing his wife's shoulders and giving her a good shake. "You're my wife now, not some southern floozy who does as she pleases! You live for my happiness!"  
  
Selina winced at each word Lucius yelled into her face. No one in her life had ever treated her like this.Her father had always been firm but gentle and her mother as sweet as the day was long. Bruce had never raised his voice to her-while he was alive-and neither had Riley. Sydney hadn't been aroun enough to ever lose her temper. But there wasn't time to think of anything like that. Lucius had thrown her on the queen-sized bed that the room provided, a fierce look in his eyes.  
  
Selina tried to roll off the bed and make a break for it but Lucius anticipated her move. "Petrificus totalus!" he cried, and instantly every joint and inch of Selina's body was bound together stiffly. Selina had yet to give up yet. She tried to squirm this way and that in an attempt to break the curse, but that only made the bindings more uncomfortable. Lucius chuckled cruelly as he watched his new bride struggle. "Oh, don't waist your strength," he purred, sidling up to the bed. "You're not going anywhere soon and the night is far from over."  
  
A wicked grin curved Lucius's finely shaped lips as he bent down over the struggling Selina. "Narcissa was far from a virgin on our wedding night," he whispered, "but I know that you won't disappoint me, will you?" Selina tried to knee her "husband" in the chest but the spell staid firm, as did her magical bindings. She closed her eyes tight and tried to think of better things, of happier places.  
  
She was vaguely aware of Lucius rolling off the bed, though she knew he would be back soon. Sure enough he was, and this time, when he leaned over he, she found him to be naked. As she felt Lucius-with no gentleness at all- begin to rip the towel away from her body, she began to tremble. And when she felt her "husband" enter her with the force of a hippogriff, she began to cry.  
  
Selina had always been told by her mother that your first time was always painful-but only for a second. Then the pain gave away and you felt better than you ever had in your life. Riley had once added that lovemaking was a beautiful, wonderful thing.  
  
Oh, how they had lied!  
  
The pain never stopped, and neither did Lucius. Her soft sobs were drowned out by Lucius's feral grunts and at that moment Selina's despair was so great that she forgot she had ever known anything the least bit beautiful. She supposed, though, that what she and Lucius were sharing was not lovemaking, as Riley called it, but intercourse.  
  
'The term lovemaking is reserved for someone you love,' Selina thought, 'and I will never love this monster!'  
  
Finally, it seemed, Lucius gave one final grunt and slumped on Selina. After a good fifteen minutes had passed Lucius stirred and rolled off-and out-of her.  
  
"That," he muttered sleepily, "was bloody good." He quickly cast the reversal spell on Selina and, before falling into a deep sleep, he hissed, "Dare you run away again and the next time we share a bed I'll make sure that it's ten times worse."  
  
Selina rolled over to her side of the bed, too stiff and sore all over to even consider running away. Was this her destiny? Was this what her life was to be from now on? Painful sex, dangerous threats, and other such abuse? And that was if Lucius even paid attention to her!  
  
Softly, as she had so many nights since her parent's murder, Selina cried herself to sleep. 


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Marrying Lucius Malfoy  
Rating: R  
Summary: "Oh, poor, poor, naïve Selina.You're going to be so much fun to toy with. Even more fun than your meddlesome older sister. You see, my dear, your sister was prepared for me. It took me months to break down her defenses enough to torture her and drive her mad. But you're just the prissy, haughty, weakling of a proper lady that your sister never was. And proper ladies are never used to pain."  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. They all belong to J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., and several other big companies. No money is being made of this story.  
A/N: Again, I'm sorry for the long wait! I hope you all enjoy the chapter, and, by all means, review!  
  
~Chapter Four~  
"Lucius, come and play! I'm bored."  
  
Lucius looked up from the important contracts he was scanning over and raised a fair blonde eyebrow at the willowy girl lying on his hotel bed. "Arielle," he drawled, "you know what will happen if I don't get these contracts signed by tomorrow. And besides, I'm not in the mood for play." He ignored Arielle's frustrated moan and picked up his expensive eagle feather quill.  
  
"You never want to play anymore," Arielle muttered, rolling over to the far side of the bed. She picked up her bright pink slip and pulled it up over pale blue panties. "You'd think that a man of your power would have a million mistresses," she continued, unaware of Lucius's poisonous glare. "I mean, when you were married to Narcissa it was as if you couldn't get enough of me but now that this Selina girl has entered the picture... and you don't even like her! You were bloody awful to her this morning!" Now Arielle was buttoning her chic, elegant designer robe. "You confuse me, Lucius Malfoy. You really and honestly do." With a taunting smirk Arielle finished redressing and strode over to the ebony hotel desk. "If you want me I'll be in room thirty-eight, writing up those letter you asked me to, like a good girl." Having said that the lithe "secretary" stepped purposefully out of the room.  
  
Lucius sighed thankfully when he heard the double doors to his hotel suite slam shut. Arielle had been his official mistress for the past five years, and she had been his off-and-on secretary for the past three. Ever since Narcissa's murder, though, she had been reduced to the mere role of his secretary. Somehow, whenever he had tried to have sex with Arielle, he pictured either Narcissa's dead corpse or Selina's stiff, magically bound body in her place. Needless to say, both mental images killed the mood almost instantly. Sighing tiredly Lucius set down his quill and thought back to Arielle's chiding words about Selina.  
  
"You don't even like her! You were bloody awful to her morning!"  
  
Had he really been? Well, she deserved the cold shoulder, then. She and her uppity friend and her maid had been gossiping about him! Yet, she was so young-only three years older than Draco-and he had been rather rough with her.  
  
As Lucius prepared for bed he resolved to have a halfway decent conversation with his new wife. Who knew? Maybe it would do their marriage good.  
  
Maybe she wouldn't turn out like Narcissa.  
  
~*~  
  
Both Selina and Draco had staid quiet throughout the entire journey to Hogwarts. Selina had just followed her stepson wordlessly through the brick barrier to the Hogwarts Express. Now the scarlet train was slowing down at a small train station, and Selina felt it best to break the eerie silence. "Did the headmaster of your school say that he would send down a carriage?" she asked softly, drawing Draco out of his own little world.  
  
"Yes," he muttered. "It should be waiting not far from here."  
  
Selina nodded and stood up. Stretching her stiff joints she slid open the compartment door and stepped out into the corridor of the train. Allowing Draco to pass in front of her Selina had to trot to keep up with his long strides. He surprised her pleasantly when he jumped off the train and extended his hand to help her down. After a muttering a quick 'thank you' Selina followed her stepson to a stone gray horseless carriage. The insides were pale cream, and the seats were soft and cushiony. The second Draco slammed the door shut, the carriage took off, and it was only a matter of minutes before a grand castle-much larger and grander than Serendipity's- came into view. Draco seemed unimpressed by the splendor of what could only be Hogwarts castle, but then again he had been born into such regality.  
  
A lone figure stood on the sprawling lawn of the school grounds, though Selina saw three students approaching the castle in the distance. The carriage halted only a few feet away from the man, and a shiver went down Selina's spine as her eyes traveled up and down the lean figure. This man had attended the wedding only long enough to drop off a gift, and he seemed to be on the outs with Lucius. Selina had breathed a silent sigh of relief when he had left. His billowing black robes-they seemed almost identical to the ones he was wearing now-had been very much out of place at the wedding, if not the slightest bit ratty. He had greasy, stringy black hair that had been tied back for the occasion with a silver ribbon, and his sour milk skin had turned an odd pink when he had brushed up against Riley. He had a hooked nose that was too large to be fully in proportion with the rest of his face, and, in her over all opinion, Selina had written him off as a fellow as odd as Draco.  
  
"Professor Snape!" Draco called, swinging the door open and jumping down onto the lawn. "I'm so sorry that I overslept! The house-elves forgot to awaken me on time, and you know that I hate getting up early in the morning." The pale, handsome young man trailed off at the stern look he received from 'Prof. Snape'. In an attempt to get the attention away from himself, Draco motioned to Selina, who was stepping daintily out of the carriage. "Professor, this is my stepmother, Ms. Selina. My father had business to attend to so he sent her along to make sure I got here alright."  
  
"Is she a legal guardian?" Snape asked, and he seemed a good deal more together than he had been at the wedding.  
  
"I am," Selina murmured, and Snape nodded curtly.  
  
"Well, then, come with me, the both of you. Prof. Dumbledore wants to talk to you, Mr. Malfoy, and then he wants Mrs. Malfoy-"  
  
"It's Ms. Julliard," Selina corrected, earning a raised eyebrow from Snape and a reproachful glance from Draco.  
  
"Just come with me," Snape snapped, turning swiftly on his heel and marching off towards the grand castle doors. He walked even faster than Draco, so both he and Selina fell behind.  
  
"Ms. Julliard?" Draco asked softly, taking care to keep his voice and expressions calm.  
  
"It's what I preferred to be called," Selina replied, taking care not to lock eyes with her stepson.  
  
"I know you don't want to be married to my father, but must you be so obvious to the public? In case you have not noticed, Ms. Julliard, you now live in a word where image is everything. If my father, your husband, ever caught word that you were instructing people to refer to you by your maiden name he would go mad with anger." Draco paused for a moment. "My father's very dangerous when he's angry."  
  
Suppressing a nervous gulp Selina played it cool. "The death of another wife," she murmured quietly, so that Snape wouldn't overhear, "would not look so good on your father's track record. And remember, I'm American. It would greatly upset the American Ministry of Magic if I were to acquire bruises from my 'husband'. I think I can handle myself."  
  
That shut Draco right up, and the rest of the walk to the headmaster's office was spent in silence. Soon the three of them reached a large stone gargoyle, and, the moment Snape said the password-Chocolate Frogs-the gargoyle began to spiral away to reveal a winding staircase.  
  
"Ladies first," Snape said in his soft, unnerving voice. Selina nodded in thanks and stepped carefully up the stone stairway, arriving quickly to her destination.  
  
The office that she stepped in to was circular in shape, with many portraits of past headmasters and headmistresses hung on the walls and silver contraptions whirling away on the shelves. A beautifully colored bird-it had to be a phoenix-slept peacefully on a perch, and a fire crackled in the fireplace, but Selina noticed none of that. From the first moment she had stepped in the amazing room her eyes had been drawn to the elderly man sitting behind the grand oak desk. He had a long silvery beard that went down past his knees and hair just as long. Perched on his long crooked nose was a pair of spectacles, and warmth radiated off his body. This man could be only one man: Albus Dumbledore. The second Draco and Snape followed Selina in, Dumbledore was out of his seat, merriness sparkling in his blue eyes.  
  
"Ah, Mr. Malfoy! Severus! I've been expecting you two.But who's this young lady? A cousin, perhaps?" Dumbledore's smile was so sincere that Selina couldn't find it in her heart to despise him for being so naïve.  
  
Instead she extended her hand to the old man and said, "Actually, Professor Dumbledore, I'm Draco's stepmother, Selina Julliard."  
  
Draco made a warning coughing noise behind, but Selina pretended not to hear. "Julliard?" Dumbledore asked softly. "Wouldn't that be Malfoy?" He got his answer when Selina winced involuntarily. "I see," he said in an even kinder voice than before. Turning to Draco and Snape he said, "Severus, Mr. Malfoy, you two should go now to discuss Mr. Malfoy's punishment. Ms. Julliard will sign the form and be on her way."  
  
Draco looked as though he wanted to protest, but Snape grabbed his elbow roughly and all but dragged him out of the room. As soon as Dumbledore heard the gargoyle swivel back into place he sat down at the seat behind his desk. He motioned for Selina to sit in the one in front of his desk, and she did so nervously as he opened a desk drawer and brought out a piece of thick parchment.  
  
"Sign this, please," Dumbledore commanded, pushing the parchment and a quill towards the young redhead. "It will merely state, for any future need, that Mr. Malfoy was returned to Hogwarts in the company of a guardian. The school board likes us to keep such documents at hand." Dumbledore watched Selina write her first name but stopped her as she was about to add a fancy, loopy J. "I would advise, Ms. Julliard, that you use your married name. Your husband sits on the school board. He would be less than pleased to come across this slip of parchment and find that you signed what I am assuming is your maiden name."  
  
Selina sighed deeply but finished her signature with a quickly scrawled 'Malfoy'. Shuddering at the very sight, Selina pushed the form back over to the elderly headmaster. She made a move to stand, intent on escaping the sudden prison that Dumbledore's office seemed to impose, but he stopped her with a mere nod of his head. Sinking back slowly into her seat Selina folded her hands gracefully and sat with the refined posture that Serendipity's had bred into her very being.  
  
"Whatever do you wish to discuss?" she asked, adding charm and grace to her Southern drawl, becoming the well mannered Southern belle that she had been molded into in a matter of seconds. "Is Draco doing well in school?"  
  
Dumbledore gave her a questioning look but shook his head. "No, Ms. Julliard. I wish to ask you about your.other half." The way he avoided calling Lucius her husband greatly eased Selina's nerves. Maybe Dumbledore understood her. "If you don't mind me asking I'd like to know how Lucius Malfoy found such a lovely young wife. You can't be much older than twenty- five."  
  
"I'm nineteen, Professor Dumbledore. In that United States I'm considered an adult."  
  
"Then you chose to marry Lucius Malfoy?"  
  
Selina shook her head. "My parents were in great financial trouble, and, after they were murdered, the only way to keep their land and wealth was to marry Lucius Malfoy. My godmother arranged this all."  
  
Dumbledore's eyes suddenly changed from worried and perhaps pitying to understanding. "Selina Julliard! Second daughter of Simon and Esme Julliard, am I correct? I had heard of your sister's work quite often through the grapevine." There was a long and awkward silence then. A look was playing on Dumbledore's face that hinted that he wanted to ask more about Lucius but that he felt it would be impolite.  
  
Before he could ask any more personal questions, however, Selina made the decision that it was high time to go. It was probably getting dark outside, and she truly hated traveling alone at night. "Well," she said, standing up and gathering her skirt about her, "I'd best be off now. I really do need to get back to the manor, and it's a long journey."  
  
Dumbledore seemed to sense that he had overstepped an invisible boundary, and he extended his hand to Selina's. "Allow me to escort you to your carriage. This is a big castle, and you might get lost."  
  
Selina knew better than to reject Dumbledore's offer, and she walked silently down the swiveling staircase. The walk down to the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts was a silent one. The few times that Dumbledore might have asked a question Selina sped up ahead of him, and the elderly man got the message.  
  
By the time they reached the Entrance Hall it was dinnertime. Students were already filing into the Great Hall and sitting down at their house tables, and a few hormone-ridden young men stopped and made eyes at the pretty redhead walking alongside their headmaster. Selina even caught sight of Draco, plodding along with a ditzy blonde girl. When he saw her he looked away quickly.  
  
A boy not far behind him winked 'roguishly' at her though, and Draco whirled around and snapped, "You're making eyes at my stepmother, you fool!"  
  
The boy gasped in what Selina perceived as utter horror-he must be scared of the Malfoys-and dashed into the Great Hall without so much as looking back. "I was having fun with these schoolboys," Selina muttered to Dumbledore, and he chuckled amusedly.  
  
"You're quite a pleasure to get to know," the old man said, and he veered unexpectedly into the Great Hall, leading Selina with him. "I hope I'll have the honor of getting to know you further. You know, this year Hogwarts has decided to try something new. On Halloween we're having the families of all our students come to the castle for a sort of all-day festival. The parents will arrive in the morning and immediately be assigned into teams. The rest of the day will involve a quidditch match, a treasure hunt, and other such games. Points will be awarded to each team for its good achievements and, in the end of the day, the points will be tallied. The winning team is each awarded a special prize, and in the evening there will be a masquerade. You'll also get a chance to tour your child's common room and classrooms. I'd love for you to come, as well as your.As well as Mr. Malfoy."  
  
Selina frowned slightly. "But I don't have a child here," she reminded him. Then it hit her. "You mean Draco? But he isn't my child! He's just my stepson, and I don't think he'd like it if I just showed up on a day meant for parents. I mean, it's so soon after his mother passed on, and." She trailed off hopelessly. "His father probably wouldn't be able to make it, and if his new stepmother, a woman only three years older than him, showed up alone then you can be sure he'd be upset about it."  
  
Dumbledore put his hands together and shook his head. "I wish I could convince you otherwise, Ms. Julliard," he murmured, pushing open the doors to the castle and walking down the steps with the young Southern belle. "As I before mentioned, it was delightful meeting you."  
  
"Likewise," Selina countered.  
  
"I hope you'll change your mind about the Halloween Festival. I think Mr. Malfoy would appreciate your attendance, whether you're his nineteen-year- old stepmother or not." With a kind smile he helped Selina into the carriage. "Good evening, Ms. Julliard. Have a safe trip home."  
  
Selina smiled pleasantly and nodded. "Same to you!" she called as the horses drawing the carriage began to trot a bit faster. She watched Hogwarts and its beautiful splendor fade into the night, and eventually she forced herself to face forward. Thoughts swam in her head about the day's happenings, and all the strange things that had taken place. What was it about that Snape fellow that made him so nervous around Lucius? Why was Dumbledore so intent on having her back to Hogwarts? And was Lucius really some ex-Death Eater? Or, worse yet, was he currently carrying out You Know Who's biddings? Just how many ex-Death Eaters had attended her wedding altogether?  
  
That night when she climbed into her large, empty, lonely bed she didn't stop thinking. Next time, when she saw Lucius, she'd confront him. She'd ask him about everything that had been bothering her. She'd ask him if he were willing to separate so she could go home. Sleep came easily after she had decided that, and Selina had all but forgotten the terrifying dream that had awoken her that morning.  
  
But the causer of the dream hadn't forgotten her.  
  
They never would.  
  
***  
  
Scared you last night, didn't I?  
  
Thought I was just some nightmare, did you?  
  
Oh, poor, poor, naïve Selina.You're going to be so much fun to toy with. Even more fun than your meddlesome older sister. You see, my dear, your sister was prepared for me. It took me months to break down her defenses enough to torture her and drive her mad. But you're just the prissy, haughty, weakling of a proper lady that your sister never was. And proper ladies are never used to pain.  
  
And I can cause you such great pain. When I'm through to you death will seem like a precious gift. Sweet dreams, Selina.I'll see you soon.  
  
***  
  
"Leave me be!"  
  
The eyes.The piercing, icy blue eyes! They were back! There were after her! Selina rocked back in forth in her bed, letting out faint whimpers and clutching her hand to her mouth. This time she couldn't forget the way those icy, piercing blue eyes had stared her down.This time the panic wouldn't subside.  
  
Sweet dream.Sweet dreams.Sweet dreams.  
  
A voice as equally chilling as the blue eyes kept laughing and chanting in the back of Selina's mind. There was a certain familiarity to it, a certain memorable bite that she couldn't quite place. The voice kept taunting her, repeating phrases over and over again.  
  
I'll see you soon.I'll see you soon.Sweet dreams.Sweet dreams.  
  
***  
  
"You said she kept chanting something?"  
  
"Screaming it, rather."  
  
"What did she scream?"  
  
"She kept screaming 'sweet dreams, I'll see you soon'. Finally Ms. Laverne stunned her."  
  
"And what about her accident? Can you describe it?"  
  
There's a lengthy pause between the two people.A man and a woman.  
  
"She.She was very upset about something. I found her at the bottom of the staircase up to the third floor. Her room is on the third floor, just a few doors down from the staircase, so I suppose she got so disoriented that she bolted down the hall and then.It was a long fall down those stairs, Doctor Pierson. How is she?"  
  
"Battered, bruised.Well, you can see for yourself. She cracked a few ribs, but we healed those right up. Broke her leg, too. But other than that it's not to bad. At least we think so. We still have a few tests to run over. Procedure, you see. Now, could you fill out-Ah, Mr. Malfoy! I'm glad that you've arrived."  
  
Another person entered the room.  
  
"My god, what happened to her? What happened to my wife?"  
  
"She had an accident-"  
  
"Will she be able to have children? Will she be able to give me children?"  
  
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy. Her reproductive organs were not harmed. But really, you should be more concerned about Selina. She was quite out of sorts when Ms. Duraford found her."  
  
Selina's awakening now.She's foggy, but she remembers the terror she felt before.She remembers the bad feeling in her room that drove her towards the stairs, that drove her crashing down the staircase.Those blue eyes were so haunting, and they're still fresh in her memory.Will they come after her again?  
  
"Mrs. Malfoy? Are you coming around?"  
  
Suddenly everything was very clear and very bright. Selina sat up in bed and stretched lazily. Her joints and body were a little sore, but she felt rested and relaxed. Where was she?  
  
A hospital room? Had Pamela taken her to a hospital? And, oh Merlin, Lucius was here.He looked pale-so much paler than usual-and he was gripping his cane tightly. A strange emotion was playing in his eyes, something that was so foreign to this man that it looked almost creepy.  
  
"Everyone out," he commanded. "I want to speak to my wife."  
  
The doctor sighed and left stiffly, while Pamela shot Selina a worried glance before tromping out. When they were gone Lucius sat down on her bed. He looked at her for one long moment, and his gaze has a smoldering feel about it. Selina squirmed away towards the wall. She didn't like the way he was looking at her.  
  
"You gave me quite a scare."  
  
Selina blinked at her 'husband's' words. She had given him a.scare? He was serious about it, too. Did her health really worry him that much?  
  
"I thought you were dead when I came in. You look very pale, Selina." Lucius sighed and reached out to put his hand on her cheek. There was surprising warmth to his touch that Selina never would have associated with Lucius. "The pink color was gone from your cheeks, and you were so still. And there was that terrible scar across your eyebrow.I suppose it'll never go away."  
  
"Dead women can't have babies, you know," Selina replied coolly.  
  
Lucius looked a little shocked at her cheek, but he bowed his head as if he knew she would be angry. "No they can't," he murmured softly. "But I was worried for your safety. You're my wife."  
  
"Narcissa's death raised enough suspicion. Two dead wives within two months? Even for a Malfoy, that'd be pushing it." Selina jerked her face away from his touch. "You would be worried for my safety simply because, if I die, you will be investigated to some degree. And even if they found that you weren't responsible for my death they might find other things." If he didn't get her point she added, "Whether legit or not."  
  
Lucius then made a face so sour that, for the first time since her parents died, Selina truly laughed. 


	5. Chapter 5

Selina had hated sleeping in the hospital. It was an expensive, private facility, with only the best of the service and staff, but Lucius had rarely ever come around after the day she was admitted. Ms. Laverne wouldn't allow Riley in to visit at all, and Pamela was banned from Selina's room because she was "an irresponsible little nitwit", so the only company she ever had was a tall, pale, fidgety nurse to serve her meals and Ms. Laverne herself. Though she wasn't happy to return to Malfoy Manor, with all its dank and shadowy rooms, it was a definite improvement from her bright, sterile room.  
  
Ms. Laverne escorted her home from Greenwich Private Hospital for Witches and Wizards, and the manor seemed strangely empty of life when Selina entered it. Ms. Laverne also insisted on walking with Selina to her private rooms-she was probably on some sort of watch-but, thankfully, Pamela was waiting in Selina's small parlor when the door opened. She looked oddly pale, and Selina could have sworn that she saw a faint bruise, but she leapt up upon seeing her mistress and gave a little bow.  
  
"Miss Selina," she said faintly, "I'm so glad you're home! Here, let me help you into your nightdress, and then I'll just slip off to my room." Pamela looked at Ms. Laverne expectantly, and when the elderly woman nodded in approval she broke into a relieved smile. "Good evening, Ms. Laverne," she said in a hoarse whisper.  
  
"Just do your job correctly," Ms. Laverne snapped, and then, without even saying goodbye to Selina, she left the room.  
  
As soon as the door to Selina's suites slammed Pamela loosened up a bit more. "Thank Merlin that woman's gone," she muttered more to herself than anyone else. Then, turning to Selina, she said, "Good to have you back. The manor was a bit.lonely while you were gone. Your friend, Riley Bryce, stopped by a few times, and we talked a bit, but other than that I was on my own." Pamela dipped her right hand in her pocket and added, "And some owls came for you. One had a package attached to it, and the other was an invitation to something at your stepson's school. I kept them a secret from Ms. Laverne, because she tears open anything the least bit private."  
  
Setting both envelopes and the package on Selina's glass coffee table Pamela began walking towards the door. "I'll be back in a moment with your nightgown," she said, and, indeed, she returned in a few minutes with a deep, emerald green negligee that was a bit skimpier than Selina would have liked. Upon seeing her mistress's questioning gaze Pamela shrugged and said, "It was the most decent thing I could find. Ms. Laverne said that the house-elves were washing all your other nightgowns, and so she gave you a few replacements."  
  
Satisfied with Pamela's answer Selina took the gauzy negligee and slipped into it behind a large screen. After stepping out and reassuring Pamela that she was alright Selina was left alone for the evening. She decided to leave the letters and package for the morning, and so she grabbed a romance novel off her bookshelf-'Flames of Seduction'-and slipped under the covers of her bed. She had only just gotten settled when the front door to her suite open and clicked shut.  
  
"Pamela?" Selina asked, frowning at the interruption.  
  
"Hardly," someone replied, and Selina's stomach dropped as her bedroom door opened and none other than Lucius Malfoy stood there. Suddenly the skimpy negligee made sense to her; Lucius had probably picked it out himself, as an arousing little number that he could rip from her body! The thought of fornicating with the man in front of her, her 'husband', made Selina feel both disgust and fear. She well remembered the last time they had shared a bed-Lucius was rough and demanding, and he was a far cry from gentle.  
  
"I'm tired," Selina muttered in hopes of escaping the evening her 'husband' had planned.  
  
"Well, I'm not," Lucius contradicted. As he began to unbutton his crisp, designer black robe he added, "Don't make me bind you like last time. Sex can be enjoyable, you know." He chuckled softly, as if he had just said a witty joke. When Selina still didn't smile a sneer replaced his amused smirk. "For heaven's sake, Selina," he hissed. "I can't be that awful, can I?" Selina's silence seemed to infuriate him even more. "Bloody hell," he spat spitefully. "You are my wife, and I will not be reduced to raping you! Just spread your legs and think of something pleasant!"  
  
Selina blushed bright red at his comment, but, sensing the trouble disobeying might cause, she did as he asked. Lucius was a tad less rough and needy the second time around, but the experience was far from pleasant. Lucius had forgotten the seventy-five pound difference between the two of them, and, as he sprawled his full weight over her much smaller form, Selina felt crushed by his body. He also, in the heat of his "passions", gripped Selina's left arm so tightly that it left a large, painful bruise.  
  
After what seemed like forever Lucius gave a long, sated moan and rolled off of her. He lay on his back on their bed, breathing softly, and it took Selina a few moments to realize that he had fallen asleep. She thought, for a fleeting moment, of leaving him uncovered to freeze in the manor's nightly drafts, but, after sighing deeply and straightening her negligee, Selina pulled the covers over him and scooted as far across the bed as she could. She lay awake for a few minutes, thinking about nothing but her miserable marriage, but finally sleep overcame her woes, and she joined Lucius in a deep slumber.  
  
***  
  
Dear me, Selina, you're easy to frighten.  
  
But you're not so easy to control.  
  
Do you really think that you raced out of your room of your own free will? Do you really think that your plunge down the stairs was merely a consequence of your panic attack? Oh, no-you have much more resistance than I would have expected you to. I needed to use a little.force to get you to take that tumble.  
  
And thanks to your little episode you had, your husband thinks your madder than a loon!  
  
By the time I'm through with you, you really will be.  
  
***  
  
The next morning, when Selina awoke, she found that Lucius was still sleeping. He looked strangely angelic when he slept, as if slumber removed all his years of corruption. He almost looked kind, like the kind of man you would want to marry. In one moment of irrational feelings Selina almost bent down and kissed Lucius on his delicate nose.  
  
The moment, of course, was nothing more than a moment, and she finally roused herself enough to roll out of bed and troop towards her bathroom. She shed her negligee distastefully and left it for someone else to throw away. Selina conjured up a pleasantly warm bath, with sweet-smelling blue bubbles, and had only just sunk in it when the door creaked open and Lucius strode in, a fluffy green towel wrapped around his lean waist. When he saw Selina he looked somewhat surprised.  
  
"Did you only just get up as well?" he asked, continuing towards her bath.  
  
Selina clenched her fists under water and gave a curt, "Yes." In case he didn't get the basic picture she added, "And I was just going to take my morning bath, alone."  
  
Lucius got the picture well enough-his brow creased scornfully-but he didn't stop coming towards the bath. "Nonsense," he said in a way that was none too friendly. "I insist on keeping you company."  
  
Selina gave up protest and folded her arms in an unwelcome defeat. Scooting to the farthest corner of the bathtub she gasped in surprise and covered her eyes when her 'husband' dropped his towel and stepped into the warm water.  
  
Lucius just laughed quietly. "If you haven't gotten used to it by now," he drawled, motioning to his naked body, "then you never will. It's not as if you haven't seen me like this before." Having said that he slid gracefully into the gigantic bathtub and leaned back in the corner diagonal to Selina's. "This has always been the nicest bathroom in the manor," he said, closing his eyes and leaning his head back so that the tips of his silvery hair dipped into the water. "I used to come in here when I wanted some peace of mind."  
  
Selina could have cared less. She might as well try and start a real conversation. "Are you doing anything on the thirty-first?" she asked. "Are you doing anything this Halloween?"  
  
Lucius squinted his eyes as he thought. "I think that I'm going to be on business over in Germany that whole week," he said. "Did you have something planned out?"  
  
Selina thought a moment before answering. "Draco's school is putting on a sort of open house," she explained, filling Lucius in on the events that would be taking place at Hogwarts. When she was done she looked at him hopefully. "Would you be able to clear some time for your son?" she asked.  
  
Lucius snorted rudely. "Why should you care if anyone shows up at Hogwarts? Draco isn't your son, and you'd do well to remember that." Selina shrunk into the water and staid silent for a long time. After a while Lucius broke the silence. "Do you need your hair washed?" he asked.  
  
Selina nodded. "Could you get me some shampoo?" she asked.  
  
Lucius smiled, snapped, and just like that he was holding a clear blue bottle. Uncorking the top he replied, "I can do better than that." With a wicked smirk he swam across the bathtub in one, poised movement. He poured a dollop of the creamy liquid into his right hand and gripped her shoulder to stop her from moving with his right hand. "I won't bite, Selina," Lucius assured her as he began to rub the shampoo into her red curls.  
  
He was unexpectedly gentle, and Selina found herself relaxing involuntarily. She leaned back to let him massage the shampoo into her scalp, and she almost sighed contentedly when Lucius began to pour warm water onto her head.  
  
It had never struck Selina how the simplest of tasks could be the most intimate. She chided herself for thinking of anything with Lucius as 'intimate', but it was true. Those precious few moments when Lucius had washed her hair had been very private in a strange, secretive sort of way. Perhaps it was because Lucius had let some sort of guard down. He had become uncharacteristically tender with her, tender in a way that she never would have associated with him. Of course, as things would have it, Ms. Laverne came bustling in just as Lucius was beginning to wash out the conditioner.  
  
"Miss Selina, what in the world is taking-Oh! Mr. Malfoy! I didn't see you there. I expect that you two will see yourselves down to breakfast. Pamela will lay out an outfit for today." Ms. Laverne left as soon as possible, but the spell had been broken. Lucius shoved away from Selina unceremoniously.  
  
"I'm done here," he said in a hurried voice. "I have to attend a business meeting in Bridgington, but I ask that you meet me for a late lunch there. We'll spend the evening there as well. I've invited a few of my colleagues in the Ministry of Magic for dinner this evening, and you can meet their wives."  
  
"What is I don't wish to attend?" Selina asked. If Lucius was going to change moods so quickly, than so was she.  
  
"Bring Ms. Bryce if you wish," Lucius said, getting out of the bath and snapping his fingers for a bathrobe to appear. "I won't force you to come, but your company would be nice. Ministry officials can get extremely boring when they start to talk."  
  
Selina stopped sulking in the bath and began to consider Lucius's request. He had, after all, said that her company "would be nice." That wasn't much, but it was a small compliment. "I'll come if we don't have to share a bed for at least a week," Selina said after a long period of silence.  
  
Lucius had dried his silvery hair by now, and he was beginning to dress, but he froze halfway through the process. He fixed Selina with a long, hard stare before asking, "You really hate it here, don't you?" It was more of a statement than a question, and Selina didn't answer. "I knew that you disliked leaving your home country to come and marry me, but I believed it was because you were just upset that you wouldn't be able to attend fast, raving parties anymore."  
  
Lucius leaned up against the counter as if in a different world. "And I knew you didn't like me, either. I knew that you were having trouble adjusting, and I knew that you didn't like the rules that I imposed, but Merlin, I didn't know it was that hard for you." He looked as though someone had clubbed him over the head. "But you hate it here. I can't fully understand why-I buy you pretty clothes, I bought a house for your best friend, you have a wonderful home-but I can understand that you hate it now. And I can understand that your reasons aren't girlishly petty or grudgingly idle.  
  
Lucius came to sit on the rim of the tub. He looked different, but not changed. "Selina, it'll take me a while to figure out why you hate things around here so much, and even then it'll take me a while to change who I am to make things better. I can't truly promise to change my whole personality though." Lucius paused again. "In the future, when we share a bed, I'll try to be more.understanding of your feelings." He sighed deeply and looked into the bubbly water. "Do you think you could ever love me as a wife loves her husband?" he asked.  
  
Selina couldn't lie. "If things had been different," she began, but Lucius held up a hand.  
  
"I cannot change the past. Things are the way they are. Don't say things like that, things that remind of all the mistakes I made," he snapped, and Selina nodded.  
  
"No. How could I? Everything about this place was forced upon." She glared at her 'husband' for a moment. "You forced yourself upon me. I can't ever forget or forgive something as demeaning as that."  
  
Lucius nodded slowly. "You don't need to come to the dinner, or lunch," he said. "Have Ms. Bryce over for dinner tonight, or go have a girl's night on the town. I'll be home late tomorrow, but I won't bother you for anything." He gave Selina a rueful smile. "Good day, Selina."  
  
Selina watched as Lucius made his way out of his bathroom. She wondered if they could not be lovers, then maybe they could be friends. Lucius might make a nice companion some day.  
  
But only some day.  
  
~*~  
  
It wasn't until mid-morning that same day that Selina remembered the packages that Pamela had presented her with. She returned to her parlor and read the letter from Hogwarts-it was simply an invitation to the Halloween festival-but when she opened the second letter the breath was stolen from her chest. There, at the top of the light parchment, printed in neat, girlish letters, was 'To Miss Selina Malfoy from Ms. Sydney Julliard.'  
  
It was a letter from the grave! Selina took a deep breath a read on.  
  
Dear Selina,  
  
If you've received this letter, then I am dead, and you are married. It saddens me to think that I will never get to see you walk down the aisle, but I had this stored with a friend of mine just in case.  
  
I bought this present in Germany, and it struck me as something pretty that you could pass on to your daughters. Be careful, though. What's enclosed in this box is not something to be trifled with. Do not ever give it away to a friend, or most grave consequences will follow.  
  
With that set aside, forever may you be happy with your new husband. I hope you two have all that you need, and remember-though we were not close, we were sisters. Love eternal, sister.  
  
Forever,  
Sydney  
  
Sydney's letter was strange, enigmatic, and intriguing, but then again, Sydney had been all of those things rolled into one. Selina set aside the letter and opened the box carefully. Inside was a beautiful purse, made of multi-shaded blue dragon scales meshed together. A silver clasp held the purse shut, and a delicately thin chain was looped through a small hole attached to the clasp.  
  
Selina held the purse up into a shaft of light to inspect it better. She gasped softly when the purse changed from a dazzling array of blues to a fiery combination of red and orange. Of all the wedding gifts she had received, this was the best. Selina set the purse down carefully with the letter on the stand beside her loveseat. She would store the purse later, and save it until a truly special occasion.  
  
Selina left the room then, humming softly to herself. The letter from Sydney had put her in a strangely good mood, but it was only the beginning.  
  
~*~  
  
The next two weeks leading up to Halloween passed uneventfully. Selina planned the ball, with help from Riley and Pamela, and she had a few civil conversations with Ms. Laverne. Her encounters with Lucius were always awkward, but he never bothered her for sex, and that was well enough.  
  
Selina had not been planning to attend the Halloween festival-after all, she was only Draco's stepmother, and Lucius certainly wasn't going-but, the day before Halloween, she received a frantic letter written by her stepson. It was addressed to Lucius, but, seeing as he wouldn't be home until late, Selina opened it anyway.  
  
Dear Father,  
  
I know that we Malfoy men are to be noble and without weakness. You have taught me this many different ways, and I value your lessons. But would it be so hard to attend the Halloween festival?  
  
Everyone-even Millicent Bulstrode-has someone to attend. I'd look foolish and uncared for if no one appeared representing the Malfoy name. No doubt Weasley would get a kick out of that. He's be an insufferable git since Potter let him have the position of captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, and it would be entertaining for 'us' to beat his whole family.  
  
Your Son,  
Draco Lucius Malfoy  
  
Selina set the letter down. Her decision was made. She had to find a way to get Lucius to the festival, by any means possible.  
  
~*~  
  
Lucius yawned and stretched. His eyes were still closed, and he spent the first few moments of the new mornings laying in silence. Lately he had not had time to take in the glories of the morning, so he had long forgotten what a nice pastime it was. The warmth of the sun streaming through the window, the soft fabric of his bed.  
  
The whistle of a train.  
  
Lucius sat strait up, looking around wildly. To his utter bewilderment, he found that he was not in his bedroom but in a train compartment. The seat the he had been sleeping on had been enlarged to fit his tall frame, and a heavy blanket had been draped over him. Large, open fields whizzed by and, outside the compartment and in the corridor of the train, Lucius could hear voices conversing softly with one another.  
  
Where in all that was magic was he?  
  
Some things about the compartment seemed familiar to him-the smell of Pumpkin Juice, a soft red fabric of the seats-and the scenery looked oddly memorable, but it wasn't until he was fully awake that he realized where he was.  
  
The Hogwarts Express!  
  
After that, the pieces of the puzzle began to fly together. Today was Halloween, the day of Draco's festival at Hogwarts. Selina had been badgering to go since she had found out about it, too.And so she had kidnapped him!  
  
'Well,' Lucius thought irritably to himself, 'at least things couldn't get much worse.'  
  
The compartment door slipped open and Riley Bryce stepped in, a cup of some steaming brew in her hand.  
  
She looked as though she had been laughing, but her face turned ugly when she saw that he was awake. Her brow knitted together in annoyance as she sat down across from him, and she tapped her right foot impatiently, as if she were waiting for someone.  
  
After a few minutes of silence Lucius worked up the nerve to ask, "I assume this was Selina's idea?"  
  
Riley grinned for a second and nodded. "She thinks that you and your son should spend some quality time together. She knew you wouldn't come on your own, so she drugged the warm milk you drink right before going to bed and levitated you into the carriage. I came along to help subdue you if the potion wore off too quickly."  
  
Lucius rubbed his head and stretched again. "And where is little Miss Alabama?" he asked.  
  
"Last I saw her, this tall, freckly, red head of a man was chatting her up."  
  
Lucius stood up very quickly. "Red hair? Freckles? Where?"  
  
"Down the train a bit. Said his name was Fred, sounded real roguish."  
  
Lucius gave a small gasp of horror and bolted out of the compartment faster than humanly possible. If anyone saw Selina 'flirting' with a Weasley.Oh, Merlin, he'd be over!  
  
~*~  
  
"I told you, Fred, I'm married!" Selina giggled in a girlish voice.  
  
"That's fine by me, love," Fred whispered huskily. "I have a thing for red heads. Remind me of me, really, and I've never seen a woman with hair as red as yours."  
  
Selina primped her hair and smiled flirtatiously-she hadn't had this much fun in a long time! "Well, if we make it quick, I suppose.My husband's the jealous time, don't you know!"  
  
Fred winked. "A real blowhard, eh?"  
  
Selina nodded. "Very much so," she purred.  
  
"Thank you so much," a cold voice cut in, "for the resounding endorsement."  
  
Selina's skin went an unhealthy shade of white, and Fred's eyes nearly popped out of his sockets. "L-L-Lucius Malfoy?" he stuttered, staring at the regal figure who was sliding his arm around Selina's waist.  
  
"Well, I told you I was married," Selina muttered. Her eyes were wide with fear.  
  
"Yeah, but we were just joking, right?" Fred asked. To Lucius he said, "Nice woman you've got there." And then he was gone, not running but walking very quickly down the hallway.  
  
"Having fun?" Lucius asked in an acidic tone.  
  
"Until you came along," Selina snapped.  
  
"You do know that he was a Weasley, don't you?"  
  
Selina shrugged. "We were just having fun, Lucius," she explained, starting down the corridor and towards their compartment.  
  
"I should lock you up for all you've put me through this morning." Lucius started, but he trailed off when the train began to slow down. "We'll discuss this later," he snapped, grabbing Selina's arm roughly and dragging her to the nearest exit.  
  
"What about Riley!" Selina protested.  
  
"She'll find her own way," Lucius retorted.  
  
They were some of the first off the train, and they were able to grab the best carriage available. As much as Selina insisted that they had to wait for Riley, Lucius ignored her. He was in no mood for games, so Selina held her tongue most of the way up to the castle.  
  
When the majestic towers came in to view, however, she risked her 'husband's' wrath by saying, "Draco will be happy that you're here."  
  
Lucius grunted.  
  
"And I'm glad you didn't go back to the manor. You need a rest."  
  
Another grunt, this one a little more agitated.  
  
Selina was very quiet after that. She looked out the window, her green eyes misted as she sank into a deep thought. As Lucius watched her his anger faded, and, despite his instincts, he began to anticipate the day. Perhaps coming to Draco's school was for the best.  
  
After all, wasn't this a prime chance to show the whole wizarding world that Malfoys equaled winners? Maybe there would be a big, golden trophy.Had Selina mentioned a prize? By the time they arrived at Hogwarts Lucius was imagining beating that Weasley brat and winning a large, fancy medal. Everyone was clapping for him and.  
  
"Lucius, we're here!" Selina cut through his fantasy of victory with a curt, hasty announcement.  
  
"I can see that," Lucius hissed in reply. He threw the carriage door open and stormed out, catching the attention of all the families standing nearby. Selina stepped out after her husband, frowning deeply and muttering unladylike curses towards her 'husband'. As they made their way up the lawn and towards a large stage where everyone else was gathering Selina heard someone call her name.  
  
"Selina Amberly Julliard! You stop walking right this instant!"  
  
With a sinking feeling Selina realized that Riley had caught up to her. Turning around she came face to face with her seething best friend. "Riley, darling, Lucius said-"  
  
"I don't care what you're stupid husband said! You dragged me along here because you want company, and then you turn around and leave me! Thank god Fred here came along and let me ride with his family up to school!"  
  
"Fred?" Selina asked, staring at the red head man behind Riley. "Well, isn't this a small world!"  
  
Fred looked more than a little frightened now. "You two know each other?" he asked. Turning to Riley he queried, "These are the people you came with?"  
  
Riley nodded. "And I know that you'll hold true to your word and stay on our team because every team needs a lot of people, and we only have four."  
  
Fred looked back at a group that must have been his family-they all had hair as red as his, and they all looked the tiniest bit shabby-and Selina would have bet her wand that, at that moment, he was regretting even attending the festival. "I-I-I suppose I could," he stammered.  
  
"Now wait just one moment," Lucius snapped, adding his voice to the conversation. "Weasley here is going to be our fifth team member? That's absurd! If anything we should be competing against those sorry excuses for wizards."  
  
"Say what?" Fred was losing his beaten look of defeat and starting to look quite angry. "Say what about my family?"  
  
No one but Selina seemed to notice the eerie silence that had befallen the crowd. Everyone was staring at the group now, and those who knew the rivalry between the Malfoys and the Weasleys began to nudge each other expectantly, as if they could smell the fight that was sure to ensue.  
  
"I said that your family was a disgrace and I'll not have a fool like you anywhere near my wife," Lucius hissed, and suddenly everyone's attention was turned to the pretty woman with curly red hair standing in between the two men.  
  
"Don't you mean your daughter?" Fred asked coldly. "That girl's my age! You're a pedophile pervert! You're just jealous that she flirted with me on the train instead of listening to you blather on!"  
  
"How dare you even speak of her like that!" Lucius growled.  
  
By now Fred's family had gathered behind him, as had several people who were probably close friends. With a surprised gasp Selina realized that just as many people-including Draco, no less-had gathered behind Lucius and she. Everyone who wasn't involved with the argument had created a large circle around the two men and their families. Some spectators even egged the spat on.  
  
"Tell him who's the boss, Freddie!"  
  
"Show him what pureblood really means, Lucius!"  
  
"Duke it out!"  
  
"Come on, fight it out like men!"  
  
Finally, however, the professors of Hogwarts noticed the developing scene and the crowd parted like waves to allow Dumbledore and Snape to reach Lucius and Fred. Snape glared at Fred disdainfully, but when Lucius caught his eye he looked strangely downcast. Dumbledore noticed that too, and maybe that was why he turned on Lucius angrily.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy?" he asked. "Would you care to explain your actions to me? I must admit, you're setting a bad example for your son, and I do believe that your wife is quite embarrassed with you." When Fred snorted rudely Dumbledore added, "And the same goes for you, Mr. Weasley. I do believe the young woman glaring at you from over there is your girlfriend?" Fred looked bashfully at a pretty, tall, thin black woman shooting him venomous looks. Lucius too was regarding his better half with a careful manner.  
  
"Now, if you two gentlemen will be content with merely standing here and listening, Severus will explain the rules to everyone." Dumbledore waited for a moment before he turned to Snape. "If you'll be so kind."  
  
Snape nodded. "Yes, Albus," he muttered before bringing out a piece of crisp parchment. "There must be twelve players on each team," Snape began, "and everyone has already been assigned to teams by the Sorting Hat. To ensure that there is no cheating," and Selina could have sworn that Snape looked right at Lucius, "we will have a professor fill the twelfth spot on each team. Now, we've realized that, should every team here compete, it would take days to finish. Therefore everyone will vote for the ten teams they think should compete the most. You will all receive ballots within a few moments so that you might do that.  
  
"Once the ten teams are selected they will compete against each other in five different challenges of both the magical and non-magical sort. At the end of each of these challenges a panel of judges will award points, and the two teams with the least points will be disqualified. I might add that the judges will be names randomly selected from the Sorting Hat as well, and that there will be new judges for each competition.  
  
"As you might have guessed, at the end of the day the two teams with the most points go head to head in one final contest. The winners of that challenge will receive a prize, and the masquerade being held tonight will be in their honor." Snape finished reading the parchment and rolled it up. "Before each competition we will announce if wands can be used or not. We will also give more detailed rules for each competition before it begins. To break one of the rules during the course of the game equals instant disqualification. Does everyone understand?"  
  
There were scattered murmurs of "yes" and "get on with it!"  
  
Dumbledore stepped forward, his face beaming excitedly. "In that case, let's get voting!"  
  
Suddenly a thin stack of parchment appeared in the hands of each of the attendees. A hush fell over the grounds of Hogwarts, broken only by the sounded of quiet, consulting whispers. Selina ignored Lucius's advice of, "Vote only for Slytherins!" and began to read through the packet.  
  
She barely knew any of the people at Hogwarts, so she voted almost always at random. When she came across her team-(Lucius Malfoy, Selina Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, Riley Bryce, Pamela Duraford, Lindsey Duraford, Robbie Duradord, Karo Chang, Nami Chang, Cho Chang, Taro Chang, Severus Snape)- she, of course, checked them off. Her eyebrows had perked at the name 'Pamela Duraford', and she wondered what her maid was doing there. She had, after all, given Pamela the day off.  
  
Right after her team came the Weasley team-(Arthur Weasley, Molly Weasley, Bill Weasley, Charlie Weasley, Percy Weasley, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Minerva McGonagall)-and it suddenly struck her that the only reason she was even attending was because a Weasley had made fun of Draco. And after all that that Fred character had said.  
  
Selina shrugged and checked off their name as well. It might do the Weasleys well to learn a small lesson.As soon as she checked off their name, her ballot disappeared with a small 'poof'. She once again ignored Lucius-he wanted to know who she had selected-and turned her eyes to the stage. It had only been a few moments when.  
  
"Miss Selina! Miss Selina! There you are!"  
  
Selina turned around to see Pamela charging towards her, dragging a young man and a young girl along behind her. Lucius snorted rudely and muttered something about their team "going to the dogs" and Riley sent a kick his way. Draco broke up the argument and distilled the fight soon after it had started, and he blushed readily when Riley hissed that Draco was twice the man his father would ever be. Selina smiled when she saw that.  
  
'Interesting,' she thought to herself. 'It would almost seem as though Draco has a small crush on dear Riley.'  
  
But she almost immediately forgot about Draco's blushing when she turned to speak with Pamela. "What are you doing here?" Selina asked. "I thought I gave you the day off. You said you were going to spend it with your family."  
  
"And I am, Miss Selina," Pamela replied brightly. Pointing to the girl-she looked to be about fourteen-she said, "This here is my little sister Lindsey. The handsome fellow trying to hide behind her is my little brother Robbie. Lindsey's a fourth year Hufflepuff, and Robbie's a seventh year Slytherin."  
  
Draco broke his silence and said, "I've seen you around the common room. You're friends with Taylor Parkinson, right?"  
  
Robbie nodded, but he didn't say anything. He seemed strangely shy to Selina for a Slytherin, but she took her focus off him and began speaking with Pamela and Riley. "Do you think we stand a chance?" Riley was asking over and over.  
  
"Don't know," Pamela answered. "I was pretty popular when I came here. What about your stepson?"  
  
Selina shrugged. "I don't have a clue as to how many friends he has. He looks like his dad, though, so that might get us a few votes."  
  
Her comments brought a surprised silence from everyone. "Are you saying you find me handsome?" Lucius asked, and he sounded quite pleased.  
  
Selina blushed but shook her head. "I'm just saying-"  
  
But luckily for her, Dumbledore stepped on the stage at that moment and shot green sparks into the air to silence everybody. "Our teams have been selected!" Dumbledore cried, and there were loud cheers from several large groups of people. "The first team consists of."  
  
Selina barely paid attention to the names he said. Instead she avoided Lucius's silvery gaze and fiddled with the lace on her sleeves. She was brought back to the real world when Riley muttered angrily, "Oh, the Weasley team? How enjoyable!"  
  
Selina looked up and saw the nine red heads and two friends march proudly up onto the stage. "How many teams left?" she asked.  
  
"One," Pamela told her.  
  
By now the crowd was completely silent. Dumbledore was holding a piece of parchment, and he was smiling softly. "And now I'll announce the last team," he said in a magically amplified voice, "though I might add that they got the most votes of all, besides the Weasleys."  
  
"I bet it's another Gryffindor team," Selina heard Draco mutter.  
  
"Patience, Draco," Lucius reprimanded, tapping his son lightly on the head. "We might still make it."  
  
He was right.  
  
"And the last team consists of: Lucius Malfoy, Selina Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, Riley Bryce, Pamela Duraford, Lindsey Duraford, Robbie Duradord, Karo Chang, Nami Chang, Cho Chang, Taro Chang, and Severus Snape."  
  
As she and her teammates made their way up to the stage, Selina was surprised by the cheers they got-mostly from young girls who winked at Draco. He smirked devilishly back at them, confirming Selina's suspicions that her stepson was some sort of womanizer.  
  
When they finally reached the stage, Dumbledore smiled at Selina and said, "I'm glad you came," in a quiet voice. Lucius raised a fair eyebrow, but he was distracted when Dumbledore began speaking again. "The first competition will be a Scavenger Hunt!" he said jovially, missing the derisive snorts that came from Draco's way. "The rules will be explained when you arrive at the quidditch pitch an hour from now. In that time the teams will find headquarters, choose a team name, and elect a team captain." Having said that he raised his wand and shot several star formations into the sky. "So, without further ado, let the games begin!" 


	6. Chapter 6: Part One

PLEASE READ: Sorry for taking so long with this chapter. It's quite long and therefore I divided it into to pieces. I made a few adjustment after reading 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'. I realize that, at the end of the story, Lucius Malfoy is thrown into Azkaban. Seeing as how that would greatly collide with the plotline I have laid out for this story from here on out 'Marrying Lucius Malfoy' will be slightly AU in that he was never thrown in Azkaban. He was present that night, but he was not apprehended, and therefore he is still rich, respected (by the Ministry of Magic), and a DE in secret. Also, the pseudo-dimension scenes will be explained in due time, as well as the Madame Rosemerta scene. Trust me on this. Oh, and if you are so inclined, pleased do review. I always enjoy critical advice. One last thing-thanks to my beta, Helena Malfoy! Her critiquing was most helpful in developing this chapter. Read on, now, and enjoy!!!  
  
~*~  
  
"I suppose we got picked because everyone wanted a rematch," Draco said nonchalantly to Riley as they made their way to the quidditch pitch.  
  
"Say what?" Riley asked, snapping out of a firm concentration. And then, just so she wouldn't have to here him repeat whatever he had said, she nodded. "Oh. Yeah. You're right."  
  
Behind them Selina and Pamela laughed. In the past hour-which they had spend finding a headquarters (the Hogwarts library), choosing a team name (Team Titan), and voting on a team captain (Riley)-it had become more and more obvious that Draco fancied Riley. Whether it was lust or a puppy-love crush, Selina couldn't yet tell. All she knew was that when Draco looked at Riley, he looked a little bit longer than necessary, and whenever Riley cracked a joke, which was often, he laughed a little too hard.  
  
Riley and Lucius, in fact, were the only to not to have picked up on this, and that was probably because they were too busy arguing with each other. Either Lucius was calling Riley a dip, or perhaps Riley had just made a rude face at Lucius, but whatever the cause of the argument had been, the two of them had made life very hard for their teammates. Finally, when Mrs. Chang had exploded and told Lucius to "grow up and leave the poor girl alone" Lucius had turned his wrath on Snape.  
  
Selina had wondered, and not for the first time, why Lucius had it in for  
Snape. The Potions Master might be a rude sociopath, but she had the  
feeling that Dumbledore would never hire anyone who was adherently cruel,  
so what could he have done to make Lucius so upset? Just another mystery,  
Selina mused, that she would have to dig to find the answer.  
  
"I'm on the quidditch team, you know." It was Draco again, and he was trying to impress Riley, who couldn't have cared less. "I'm the Slytherin seeker."  
  
Riley gave Draco a strained smile. "In the South we didn't play much quidditch. We played muggle games such as baseball. We rode horses too."  
  
Draco seemed confused. "How could someone not want to play quidditch?" he asked.  
  
Riley shrugged. "The only Southern state that's heavily into quidditch is Alabama."  
  
Draco smiled in a way that might be perceived as handsome by some. "And what state were you born in, Riley?"  
  
Riley shot a pleading look at Selina. "I was born in Georgia," she muttered. Pointing back to Selina she added, "But Selly comes from Alabama! Talk about quidditch with her!" In the split second that Draco looked back at Selina, Riley bolted ahead to the quidditch pitch. "I'm just going to see if the captains need to do anything special," she called over her shoulder. Draco looked hurt for a moment, but then he saw Selina and Pamela watching him, so he stood up strait and began walking stiffly.  
  
It was then that the Weasley crew appeared. They were all laughing heartily, and Selina had a feeling it was her team that was being laughed at. She saw one of the boys shoot a pointed look between her and Lucius, and then they snorted. Pamela stood up, as if in defense to her mistress, but Lucius had taken no notice of him. He, instead, was sneering snidely at the head of the Weasley's, a balding redhead man.  
  
"Well, Arthur," Lucius was drawling, "I see that we're going to be competing against each other quite a bit today."  
  
The balding man, who must have been Mr. Weasley, gave Lucius a very tight smile. "May the best team win," he spit out before taking the arm of his wife and entering the quidditch pitch. Everyone else, including the professor on their team, staid behind.  
  
"Let's make a little bet," Lucius said when Mr. Weasley was out of hearing range.  
  
"Let's," one of the Weasley boys retorted.  
  
When neither of the professors objected Lucius gave a small smirk. "Whichever of these two teams is eliminated first has to.I don't know.give up something of great value. I'm willing to offer you my cane." Lucius showed the whole group his prized cane, a Malfoy family heirloom. "What would you be willing to give up? Assuming, of course, that you have anything worth giving up.  
  
The Weasley´s frowned for a moment, and then they formed a large huddle. Their professor, a tall woman with a tight, immaculate bun and thin pursed lips; whom Snape called McGonagall, was the only one who staid out. Instead of conversing with her teammates she glared at Snape, and he was only too glad to return the favor. Finally, after a good three minutes of debating, the Weasley's straitened up.  
  
Their elected spokesperson, a tall, handsome man with a ponytail and a fang earring, stepped forward and cleared his throat. "In exchange for your cane," he said, "we're willing to bet our own little gem." Lucius looked expectant when the young man paused. "You see, Fred and George have been making a good deal of money with their business, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes." The man ignored Draco's chortle of laughter. "Recently they visited our brother Charlie in Romania, where Charlie works with dragons. It turns out that, at the same time, a group of nomadic wizards was passing through the camp in which Charlie and all his coworkers staid. A few of them were merchants, and one had wandered throughout Europe and beyond, seeking areas in which dragons were kept. He specified in dragon-like products and the like, and he had a few trinkets for sale."  
  
The spokesman then produced a sloppily written receipt and handed it off to Lucius. It had been folded many times, and the writing was in a foreign language. "We're willing to bet this if we can each have a kiss from the pretty young women." He motioned to Selina, Riley, Pamela and Cho, all of whom pretended to be greatly offended but were truthfully quite flattered. "What do you say, Malfoy?"  
  
Lucius, who seemed to understand the strange language, folded the receipt and placed it in his coat pocket. "Well, I must say, I think we're all being fairly generous, but very well. It's a deal, but I must ask that my wife be eliminated from the lineup."  
  
The spokesman seemed to sense that he had touched a nerve. His warm brown eyes shone with mischief, and he nodded. "She'll only have to kiss me, then. Is it a deal?"  
  
Lucius glared at the young man, but he shook on it anyways. The Weasley guffawed and hooted as they moved off towards the quidditch pitch. They seemed fairly confident, and as soon as they had disappeared Mr. Chang began to yell.  
  
"Bets, Malfoy?" Mr. Chang asked. "We're taking bets now?"  
  
"It's just a little fun and games. I'm the only one who stands to lose." Lucius began walking, and everyone followed him at a reluctant pace. "Do you know what he's offering? Dragon Gems! Merlin knows how a Weasley managed to get a Dragon Gem, but there's enough so that each family could have one."  
  
Mr. Chang frowned. "I don't like your style, Malfoy; let me say that right now. The Weasley's are a respectable wizarding family, and I don't want to become their foes just because of your gigantic ego."  
  
Lucius frowned. "You would like them though, wouldn't you? Muggle lovers, aren't they?" Both he and Draco gave Mr. Chang a strange, berating look. "Your adopted mother was a muggle, wasn't she, Chang?"  
  
Mr. Chang's eyes darkened. "You're one to talk, Malfoy," he growled. "Everyone knows about your parents too, and your sister." Mr. Chang looked at Selina, and then at Pamela, and then at his own daughter. "But due to the innocent ears we have present I won't choose to insult them."  
  
Lucius had no reply to that. Their team resumed walking, but he lagged behind with Draco. They both whispered together, and every so often the word "mudblood" would drift into Selina's hearing range. Selina knew that Pamela could hear too, because she would turn light pink whenever they said it. It made her burn with anger too. Riley's mother was muggle born, and Bruce's father had been a muggle. Maybe the whole Riley and Draco thing wasn't such a good idea.  
  
As soon as Selina and the rest of her teammates stepped into the quidditch pitch all arguments were left behind. A woman who introduced herself as Professor Sprout met them at the entrance and pulled them into a small tent that had been erected for the competition. Riley was waiting for them inside, and she jumped up when she saw them.  
  
"Y'all just made it," she drawled, striding over to her team. "Professor Sprout here has been explaining me the rules of this Scavenger Hunt. It's real simple. All we have to do is go on stage, smile and wave, and get a slip of paper from Professor Dumbledore. Written on that slip of paper is a clue in the form of a riddle. The answer of the riddle will be a location, and once we reach the location we'll find a small coin and the next riddle. The eight teams with the most coins at the end of the hour win and go on to the next competition."  
  
Prof. Sprout looked at them all critically. "That won't be too hard for you, will it?" she asked.  
  
"Not at all," Riley said, giving her team a proud grin. "We'll do well."  
  
Prof. Sprout nodded and pointed to the far side of the tent where a tent flap covered an exit. "Wait until the headmaster calls your team name. Then you go out and do as your captain said."  
  
"And last but not least, Team Titan, led by Riley Bryce!"  
  
There was a mixture of applause, mostly from Slytherins and Ravenclaws. A few loud-mouthed Gryffindors booed, but a severe glare from Snape shut them up. Riley strode proudly over to Dumbledore and took the piece of paper. When she walked back to join her team she made an effort to stay away from Draco, and she seemed thankful when Dumbledore began to speak in a magically magnified voice.  
  
"Now, before the teams arrived, I explained the rules to you all! The eight teams with the most coins at the end of the hour will move on. The other two teams will join you." Dumbledore turned to the ten teams. "And once more," he said sternly, "there is to be absolutely no cheating! The courses are being monitored, and you have professors with you! Cheating equals an instant disqualification! Am I understood?"  
  
There were nods from everyone but Lucius and Draco, both of whom stood proud and haughty. Dumbledore ignored the two, though he did give Selina a 'good-luck' glance.  
  
"On your marks, get set, GO!"  
  
Every team ran out of the pitch except Team Titan. Lucius looked as though he wanted to be one of the several pushing, shoving teams trying the leave the entrance at once, but Cho Chang spoke up.  
  
"Let's go to the Ravenclaw shower rooms," she said. "There's an exit I know of that will put us right outside the quidditch pitch." She led them to a different, smaller exit and into the Ravenclaw shower rooms.  
  
Draco looked rather impressed. "A steam room?" he asked, and Cho nodded.  
  
"We strategize in there," she explained as she made her way to a large door. Leaning close to the doorknob she whispered a password and the door swung open. "It's a small drop," she warned everyone before jumping down about six feet and onto the soft green lawn.  
  
The rest of the team was soon to follow, and when everyone was outside of the stadium they all formed a huddle. "Okay, Riley, read it!" Selina hissed.  
  
Riley produced the slip out of her pocket and began to read. "I happen once a year, twice a week, and never in a month. I am the beginning of every liar, and the end of every fool. You can find me in find, but never in seek. Put my together and find your next clue."  
  
Lucius snorted. "Well, if that isn't the biggest piece of-"  
  
"Put a sock in it, Malfoy!" Mr. Chang snapped. "If you weren't so thickheaded then you might be able to see that this is perhaps the easiest clue we'll get!"  
  
Now Lucius looked confused. "I beg your pardon?" he asked.  
  
"It might be a little clichéd," Cho agreed, "but it's all just logic. The clues all lead to letters, you see. E happens once in year, twice in a week, but never in a month. L is the beginning of the word liar, and it is the end of the word fool. Now, the last clue might be a little tricky, but I believe it's the letter F."  
  
"Elf?" Draco asked. "The word 'elf'?"  
  
"Of course! Elves! House-elves! In the kitchens!" Cho looked proud of herself.  
  
As they began to make their way to the kitchens of Hogwarts Selina heard Mr. Chang take one last dig at her 'husband'. "You see, Malfoy," he said in a whisper, "if you use the brain in your head instead of the one in your trousers you can achieve so much more."  
  
~*~  
  
In the end the Chang´s were the only reason that Team Titan made it to the second round of the competition. All four had been and were in Ravenclaw, and their logical minds were able to get their team thirteen coins. The moment everyone entered the quidditch pitch again Prof. Sprout swept down upon them.  
  
"May I have your coins?" she asked. Mr. Chang handed her all thirteen, and she pointed strait ahead. "Go right through that entrance and get onto the stage. You're the last team here again so hurry!"  
  
The stadium began cheering when Selina and her team entered the quidditch pitch, but that was probably more out of impatience for Dumbledore to announce the winners than out of support. Team Titan took their place and Dumbledore stepped forward. Prof. Sprout had just handed him a gold envelope, and Selina could only guess that the envelope contained the eight teams.  
  
"I understand that you're all anxious to learn which eight teams are going on to the next competition so I won't bore you with any announcements." The spectators in the quidditch pitch all applauded as Dumbledore opened the envelope. "And the eight teams going on are Team Toros, Team Red,"-loud cheers from the Weasley's,-"Team Cyrus, Team Serpens, Team Titan,"-even louder cheers from the Malfoy men,- "Team Lamborghini, Team Jade, and Team Sires!" Dumbledore turned to the two teams that had been eliminated. "Good job on making it this far, and thank you for participating."  
  
Both teams left the stage, and Dumbledore stepped forward to announce the next activity. "It's ten-thirty right now. The teams will be allowed a half and hour of rest before they're required to meet down at the lake for a relay race." Beside her Selina heard Lucius gasp. "Stands will set up down by the lake, and everyone is invited to join us down there. That is all for now, and you're dismissed!"  
  
As all the teams began making their way to the exits Selina couldn't help but notice how pale Lucius had grown in the past few minutes. He seemed terribly agitated, and he wouldn't look anyone directly in the eye. His state only worsened when they arrived back at the library and found that there were twelve black bathing suits awaiting them. As everyone rushed to claim theirs the usually proud nobleman staid back, his gray eyes darting around like a trapped animal. If anyone else besides Selina noticed his odd behavior they didn't voice their opinions, and for that Selina was thankful.  
  
As everyone else headed off to remote areas in the library to change the young redhead hung behind. When everyone was gone she approached Lucius. He still hadn't gone near the swimsuits. "Are you feeling well?" Selina asked.  
  
Lucius's head snapped up so suddenly that Selina stepped back a few feet. "Shouldn't you be off changing?" he asked in a way that made it seem like a command.  
  
"Shouldn't you be?"  
  
Selina knew that Lucius despised rhetorical questions, and his anger became evident as the creases in his brown multiplied. However, he did snatch his suit-which, to her amusement, was a sleek Speedo sort of get-up-and stomp off into the 'L' section.  
  
Ten minutes, when everyone had gathered in the center of the library, Team Titan started off for the lake. Selina, Riley, Pamela, and quiet Cho all walked in a tight bunch. Lucius, who had made it early on that he wished to walk alone, was trudging dourly at the back of the group, and his son was just a little bit ahead of him. The rest of the Chang´s and the Duraford´s walked in a loose crowd, asking only the occasional yes-or-no question.  
  
This time around they were the first team to arrive at the lake. Again, it was Prof. Sprout that greeted them, and she pointed in the direction of a line of stalls. "Slip out of your clothes in those and then join the Headmaster up on the stage."  
  
As they stepped up onto the stage Selina could see two more teams approaching. Team Red was one of them. Within minutes the rest of the teams had arrived, and Selina noted that every team had a different color of swimsuits, though not all suits were in the same style. Fred had gotten stuck with a Speedo as well, but she kept her eyes only on Lucius, mostly because he looked as though he were about to faint.  
  
His skin had gone pallid, and he was pacing behind his team. His hands were fidgeting spasmodically, and Riley nudged her. "Is he going to die on us?" her friend asked.  
  
"I don't know. He looks like Death, though."  
  
"Too true, too true! He had better buck up, though. Dumbledore's about to announce the competition rules." Riley jerked her head to the older man, and both women shut their mouths.  
  
"Welcome, everyone, to the second competition! It is a Relay Race, as I before mentioned. The rules are simple, as always, and they require only that each team get their baton,"-Dumbledore produced a glowing baton from a fold in his robe,-"across the lake. Now, there are eleven fairly large platforms out on the lake. A member on each team will be on each platform, and the twelfth member will be on this shore. The beginner on shore will have the baton, and they must somehow swim it to their awaiting teammate on the next platform. The first six teams to the far shore win. Again, there will be not cheating, and magic of any sort is not allowed. Have I made myself perfectly clear?"  
  
Riley smirked. "Crystal," she quipped, and Draco began another round of laughter. Everyone stared at the pale boy, and his father stopped pacing for a moment to give him a berating look. Draco straitened up and coughed into his hand, obviously embarrassed.  
  
Dumbledore shrugged to himself and gave his next order. "Now, all the teams circle around. One of you from each team grab a baton and join Professor Sprout down by the water. The rest of you come and grab onto these portkeys. They'll take you out to one of the platforms, so one person from each team on one portkey."  
  
Somehow everyone knew where to go. Riley was selected to be their starter, and she sidled up to a blue bag and snatched herself a baton. Then she walked slowly down to the lake. Selina went to one of the portkeys, and she bent down to grab a hold of it. Just before she was whisked off to one of the platforms she got a parting look at Lucius. He was facing the spokesman of the Weasley's, and his skin had gotten pastier since she had last looked at him.  
  
"Gee, Malfoy," the Weasley man said with a chortle. "I hope you can swim!"  
  
The look on Lucius's face bothered Selina, but she couldn't fathom why. It didn't matter, though, because the next second she was standing on a platform. It was the one nearest to the farthest shore, and she felt her stomach clamp unpleasantly as she considered the possibility that the race might come down to her swimming skills. Riley and she had always been good swimmers, of course, their old school having been on a lake, but she hated participating in races of any strenuous sort.  
  
Across the lake the race was already in motion. Riley's powerful strokes put Team Titan in the lead, and when she passed it on to Draco they were put far in the lead. Though their efforts to win were slowed down by aging Mr. Chang and awkward Lindsey Duraford, the long graceful motions of Cho Chang and the powerful pace of Robbie Duraford assured them an almost sure first place.  
  
However, as things neared Lucius, Selina began to feel the unpleasant clamp in her stomach again, and not because of her own silly fears. Her thoughts drifted back to the Weasley man's snide comment. The more she thought it over-"I hope you can swim!"-the more it seemed to make sense.  
  
The reason Lucius was so nervous was because he didn't know how to swim!  
  
It was just like him, too, to go proudly to his death rather than admitting he could not do something such as swimming. Of course, someone would jump in and save him.Or she could alert someone on the other shore.  
  
But as the events began to unfold with surprising quickness Selina's hope began to diminish. Pamela had to baton now, but she was as slow a swimmer as her sister was, and three other teams, including a Wealsey, were hot on her tail. The race was picking up speed, and it was unlikely that anyone but herself would notice Lucius until it was too late.  
  
"My husband can't swim!" The distressed Southerner called to Prof. Sprout, but the chubby woman had her back turned and couldn't hear. The other people on the platform looked at Selina confusedly. They would be of no use either.  
  
Turning back to Lucius's platform Selina was just in time to see Lucius leap into the water. Her suspicions were confirmed when he began to thrash helplessly in the water, and her blood boiled when she saw a few people laughed at him.  
  
~*~  
  
Selina was in the water before she knew it. In the distance she heard someone scream angrily, but things had slowed down for her.  
  
Lucius was still thrashing, but he had lost much of his strength by the time she neared him, and people were only just beginning to realize what was going on. Just a few strokes before she would have reached him he went under, and for a crazy reason unknown to her she dove after him. Luckily he hadn't sunk too far, but he didn't appear to be conscious, and his slackened heavy weight was dragging him down.  
  
It was like some awful joke. The faster Selina tried to swim, the faster he sank. It was as if he was just a hair's width away from her reach. The glowing baton floated up past Selina, but she didn't stop to grab it. Now her energy was running low, but she knew better than to shoot for the surface. Should she turn back now she would lose Lucius and become a widow.  
  
It was bad enough to be a bride so young, but being a widow was even worse.  
  
Selina swung her hand out, and her hand caught a fistful of Lucius's long, white-blonde hair. Thankfulness shot through her, and she was able to grab a hold of his left hand. Her lungs had begun to burn with the need for air, but her journey to the surface of the lake was slow. Dragging Lucius up with her was a harder task than she would have thought, and his dead weight was a great handicap.  
  
The daylight was becoming clearer now, though, but all her strength failed her just a few feet before she would have reached the surface. Selina closed her eyes despair overcoming her.But then a pair of hands had reached out and grabbed her firmly by the shoulders.  
  
~*~  
  
The world began to focus, and everything seemed to start moving normally the moment Selina breathed in. Cold air stung her lungs, but it felt wonderful in such an odd way. The redhead was dragged up into a sort of rowboat, and Lucius was thrown down beside her. Two men were crouched down beside the haughty pureblood, and they were doing such things as checking his pulse.  
  
The moment the rowboat touched land Selina was hauled out of it and into a pair of thin arms. Riley was hugging her, and the young black woman was shaking all over. "Don't you ever scare like that again, you hear?" Riley hissed, and Selina coughed up a bucketful of water in response.  
  
~*~  
  
Idiot!  
  
You prideful asshole!  
  
How moronic could one be?  
  
As Selina stalked down the hallway and to the library a million different insults tumbled around in her head. Once she caught up with that so-called 'husband' of hers then she would tell him every single one! In the twenty minutes in which she had been checked over by the Hogwarts nurse, Madame Pomfrey, her fear for Lucius's life had evaporated, only to be replaced by a fiery anger.  
  
She had almost died trying to save him! How stupid could one be, jumping into a lake when they couldn't swim? He had only made himself into a bigger fool than he would have been had he told people that he couldn't swim.  
  
Riley wasn't too happy with the man either. If Lucius had not been whisked away to the Hospital Wing with Dumbledore and Snape then Selina was sure her friend would have attacked the arrogant aristocrat. However, her anger had only served to spark Selina's, and in the end the young redhead had been sent to the library to wait while Dumbledore returned to the lake and announced the six teams that would be moving on.  
  
"I don't know the results of the race," Riley whispered as Selina got up to make her way to the castle, "but don't count on us making it to the next round."  
  
And that brought her to the present. She was entering the library now, but she stopped short when she heard to low voices-men, the both of them- whispered somewhere near the center of the room. They were arguing, but Selina wasn't fully intrigued until she heard her name.  
  
"You prideful fool! Have you any idea how you endangered your wife's life?"  
  
Snape.  
  
"Of course I know! But I never would have jumped in had I known that she would try to save me!"  
  
.and Lucius! But why were they back at the library so soon?  
  
"Why did you jump in at all? We haven't been on friendly terms for a long time, but even I know how you despise swimming!" Snape snapped in a mocking tone.  
  
"Oh, so I should have admitted to my son, my wife, and all my friends that I couldn't swim?"  
  
"Well, everyone knows now!" Snape scoffed.  
  
"Screw off," Lucius muttered, and Selina heard the sound of a chair being dragged across a hard surface. She wanted to continue to listen in on their conversation, but before anyone could say anything else the doors to the library burst open and the other nine members of Team Titan streamed in. Everyone was talking loudly and laughing, and it wasn't long before Pamela found Selina lurking behind a bookshelf.  
  
"Miss Selina?" she asked. "Why aren't you with Mr. Malfoy and the professor?"  
  
Selina shook her head. "I'll tell you later, Pamela. Just tell me why everyone is so happy!"  
  
Pamela's face broke into a wide grin. "Because, Miss Selina, we came in third!"  
  
"What?"  
  
Pamela steered Selina over to where the rest of their team had gathered. "Well, due to the.incident.out on the lake not every team finished. Only Team Red made it all the way, and Team Jade stopped swimming at the last platform. No one else bothered swimming past the spot where you went under, so we were third place."  
  
Riley, who had taken her position as captain very seriously, nodded. "Next all of us will be competing in a sort of art thing." She shrugged. "Dumbledore was vague."  
  
Any talk of the competition was put on hold when a house-elf appeared, bearing food and drink. No one spoke much during the next fifteen minutes as they were all eating their sandwiches and gulping down nice, cool Pumpkin Juice. Selina did notice, however, that everyone with the exception of Draco sent Lucius at least two scalding looks. When Lucius finally took a hint and left to eat his food in another area of the library Selina decided that she couldn't be angry with him anymore. Riley alone was doing enough of that already, and besides, she could tell by Lucius's fleeting glance at her that he was indeed a sorry man. It was in his every gesture, and the young redhead almost pitied him.  
  
Almost.  
  
~*~  
  
Everyone who had come to watch the third competition tittered excitedly as Team Titan strode into the quidditch pitch. All the nosey witches craned their necks to get a good look at the new Mrs. Malfoy, and many young wizards made crude jokes at Lucius's expense. No one was more obvious in their amusement than the Weasley's, though the women of Team Red all smiled kindly at Selina, as if pitying her for being saddled with such a horrid man. Their pity only made her insides burn, and she glared at them all until they glared back. By the time the last team arrived things on the stage were reaching a breaking point, and Dumbledore seemed very glad to get started again.  
  
"Well, that was quite something down at the lake!" the old headmaster said jovially. "I have had a talk with Mr. Malfoy, and he won't be swimming anytime soon." He gave Lucius, who was doing his best to still look prideful, a stern look as if to clarify what he had just said, and Selina had a feeling that Dumbledore had given her 'husband' and earful on her account. "But now, onto more important things! When we last met I told you all that this next competition would be involving art. Now, you'll have an hour and a half to do this, and it will have some guidelines, but other than that you can use any form of art you wish-painting, sculpting, etcetera.  
  
"You're all to create something with your provided materials that represents the most beautiful thing you've ever known. It might sound easy, but let me explain more clearly. You'll be judged on two things-quality of the work and quality of the subject. In other words, how well you present it and what it is being presented. How much thought goes into this piece of art?" Dumbledore pointed to a six tents in the middle of the pitch. "Each team will work in one of those. Don't worry-each tent is heavily charmed so that nothing that you're saying will escape. As always, cheating means getting thrown out of the games, so play clean! Teams, you have exactly ninety minutes until you present your finished work, so I suggest you get started!"  
  
He gave a loud clap and the six teams rushed off to their tent. Riley led everyone to a black tent decorated with bright red and yellow stars. Lucius sneered at the exterior, but he entered all the same. The materials that Dumbledore had mentioned were a large canvas, a whole set of paints, charcoal, chalk, small costume jewels, and other things of the sort. As soon as everyone had sat down around the small table in the center of the people began saying their ideas, and Riley shot them all down.  
  
"Cho?"  
  
"How about a pretty sunset?"  
  
"No, I'm sure someone else will think of that.Lindsey?"  
  
"A unicorn?"  
  
"Same as I said before! Unicorns are so pretty that someone else is bound to do one.What is it Malfoy?"  
  
"I've always thought myself to be beautiful-"  
  
"Oh, be quiet you! Selina, tell me you have a better idea than your husband!"  
  
"Well, when I was growing up I always knew what the two most beautiful things in the world were." Riley nodded expectantly. "The first was the South."  
  
"Can't argue with that one.And the second was?"  
  
"My mother, of course."  
  
Riley breathed in very quickly before nodding. "Isn't that true of everyone?" she asked. Everyone nodded, and a few even smiled appreciatively at Selina. Lucius looked a little wary, but no one, not even his wife, was about to pay him any attention.  
  
Things ran smoothly after that. Riley assigned everyone a good-sized chunk of the canvas, and they all began to draw. Each person had a different style, and they were all rather skilled, but one artist stood out from them all. Where her teammates were somewhat talented in the way of drawing Pamela was gifted! Her hand seemed to have a mind of its own as it zipped around her corner of the canvas. She, of course, was working with her younger siblings, but early on they began to let her take over, and soon the mouth, and then the eyes, and then a long, pointed nose appeared. Pamela's mother was a kind looking woman, plump and grinning with the smile of someone who truly loved life.  
  
Soon to follow were the rest of the mothers. Selina knew well the face of gorgeous, serene Mrs. Bryce, and she pretended not to notice the cold, perfectly featured beauty of Narcissa Malfoy. Lucius had inherited his blonde, pale looks from his father, apparently, for his mother had dark, rich black hair, equally black eyes, and a prominent nose. Mrs. Chang, of course, was drawn by her daughter and son, and both she and her husband drew Cho's grandmothers. Snape's mother was much like him with pallid skin and dark, boring eyes. Everybody became so enthralled in their own mother and doing her justice on the canvas, that they lost track of time. In fact, Dumbledore himself came to fetch the twelve of them.  
  
"Your time is up," he said, and Riley nodded.  
  
"We're done enough, aren't we?" she asked, grinning at her team.  
  
"Sure," Pamela agreed, standing up. "Coming, Miss Selina?"  
  
Selina nodded and trotted after her friends. She would really have to ask Pamela to stop calling her "Miss Selina". Lucius would probably disapprove, and Ms. Laverne might have a few choice words, but Selina really would rather have Pamela as a friend than a servant. Before she could speak to Pamela, however, she ran smack dab into an object-or was that a girl?  
  
"Oh, dear, I'm so sorry! I really wasn't watching where I was going! It's just that my team finished late and I-" The girl stopped speaking abruptly. "Oh," she said softly. "It's you. Mrs. Malfoy." It was only then that Selina recognized the girl as the bushy haired brunette that was on Team Red. The girl had been on the arm of one of the Weasley boys all day, and she had been regarding Selina and Riley rather nervously.  
  
"Ms. Julliard," Selina said. When the girl raised her eyebrows she added, "It's my maiden name." This only made the girl look more curious. Knowing all too well that she would just be firing the fires of gossip Selina explained in more depth. "It was an arranged marriage, and I don't wish to be called 'Mrs. Malfoy'"  
  
The girl's eyes closed, as if processing the information, and then she twirled a bit of her fluffy hair, as if she were deep in thought. "So your husband and you aren't that.close?"  
  
Selina frowned. "I don't see how that would be-"  
  
"Miss Selina hurry up! We're all waiting on you and.Oh, I see.You were talking with a.friend?" Draco had found Selina, and he was staring at the girl with unabashed disdain.  
  
"No. She ran into me, literally." Selina could tell there was a past relationship between the two that would come pouring forth quite soon. Draco looked quite upset as the girl mumbled some excuse to leave and make her way back to the safety of her friends, and if the boy were anything near being similar to his father then he would be venting. Sure enough, as they walked briskly back to stage; Draco began telling her off.  
  
"That girl was a mudblood, for Merlin's sake! My god, don't you know what being seen with someone of her stature could be like?" He looked at her, obviously expecting a long and ashamed apology.  
  
Well, no such thing came.  
  
"You're really something, aren't you?" Selina asked. She was too disgusted with her stepson to display any true emotion. "You think you're some big man because you're a pureblood!"  
  
Draco actually stopped walking. He stared at Selina. "You don't feel the same way?" he asked, rather cautiously as well.  
  
"Riley's mother is muggle-born, and my cousin Bruce was half-and-half. People in America are generally more easy going about each others bloodlines," Selina snapped shortly before striding forward and up to join the team. She ignored Riley's curious look, and she pretended that Lucius didn't exist. She kept her eyes trained on the tall, elderly headmaster and tried to forget exactly what had transpired in the past fifteen minutes.  
  
"Well, now that Team Titan has finally joined us, we can begin the judging! Professor Sprout and I will be judges, and we will each focus on one of the two areas."  
  
As Riley had predicted most teams did stereotypic subjects. By the time Dumbledore and Prof. Sprout were thru viewing the first four "works of art," she had grown sick of unicorns and moonlit nights. Team Red's painting was impressive-everyone but Lucius and Draco admitted it. A blend of reds, oranges, coppers, yellows, and touches of gold combined to make a beautiful, almost burning inferno.  
  
"The fire here equals inner strength and passion," one of the Weasley boys crowed, "and nothing is more beautiful than those things!"  
  
Dumbledore and Prof. Sprout agreed. Team Red got full marks, causing Riley to grumble angrily. She smiled brightly, though, as the two professors approached, and she drew the thick white tarp off the canvas, revealing their painting with just as much pride as the Weasley's had. However, not even she could mask her surprise upon seeing the finished article. No one could.  
  
The subjects of the portrait had begun to move!  
  
Selina knew that most wizarding portraits moved, but she had forgotten how they were given the ability to move about in the first place. She stopped trying to remember how and stared at the portrait. There was her own mother, giggling girlishly with Mrs. Bryce and both Mrs. Chang´s. Narcissa Malfoy stood in the far corner, looking disgusted at the whole affair, while Mrs. Duraford and Mrs. Snape whispered quietly. Mrs. Malfoy, Lucius's mother, had wandered off, and so the picture was incomplete, but Dumbledore didn't seem to care.  
  
"I am assuming these are all your mothers?" When he received a few nods, he grinned delightedly. "To a young child who could possibly be more beautiful than their mother? Brilliant choice, Team Titan! Professor Sprout and I give you full marks as well as a few bonus points for creating a moving picture." Dumbledore smiled softly. "Only a portrait in which the artist- or, in this case, artists-poured their heart into can be caused to move."  
  
Lucius's trademark smirk was back on his long, pointed face. "Ahead by about ten points, I reckon," he muttered to Draco. Draco nodded and sneered at Team Red. Selina noticed that he purposely skipped over the brunette girl.  
  
"Now for another break! This one lasts forty minutes! The next competition will be a quidditch match-Draco looked very pleased,-"so make sure you've chosen who plays each position! And, of course, we'll all reconvene here!"  
  
As the teams broke apart there was an excited buzz about the crowd that had not been there when past events had been announced. As Team Titan made their way back to the library Lucius and Mr. Chang swarmed around Riley, each trying to make sure that their child was made the Seeker. Riley managed to escape the two, middle-aged men, but only to run into Draco. The young Seeker was warier of her now, and Selina could only guess it was because he had found out that she was muggle-born. Instead of going back to the library, however, Riley stopped in front of the school. Her expression was one of pure business, and the young Southerner eyed her team with critical preciseness.  
  
"Let's see now.Who would best fit each position? All right, Snape, you're the Keeper." Snape scrunched his face up in a sinister sneer. Riley, however, didn't see, for she was eying Pamela, Cho, and Selina herself. "Now you three will be the Chasers. Don't look like that, Mr. Chang, it doesn't suit your face.Malfoy-no, not you, I meant your father-you and I are going to be the Beaters, and Draco here will be the Seeker." Turning to the three remaining Chang´s and Pamela's younger siblings she said, "You five will make sure we don't mess up. Robbie, you're our backup Seeker, and Lindsey, if anything happens to one of the Chasers then you'll play, okay?" Everyone nodded. Riley smiled. "Well, I don't think we have anywhere to practice, but we might as well make some strategies!"  
  
The next forty minutes were spent going over plan after plan. Riley had always been the perfect strategist, so she made an excellent captain, but even that couldn't quell the nauseous twinges that had been bothering Selina ever since Riley had announced that she would be a Chaser. Selina would be the first one to tell anyone that she wasn't at all athletic, and she felt betrayed in a way that Riley would expect her to do something as big as ride a broomstick in front of hundreds of strangers. Everyone else seemed to be confident in her-Lucius might have even gone so far as to be proud-so she couldn't exactly let them down.  
  
Even so, it was too late to throw in the towel. It was just five minutes until the quidditch game started, and Selina was pulling on the last of her gear. After striating her black shirt once more, the young redhead made her way through the muggy locker rooms to find Riley. Her friend was talking very quickly with Pamela, and it took a few moments before Selina found a pause in their conversation so that she could speak.  
  
"Both sets of teams play at once, right?" Selina asked.  
  
"Yes," Riley confirmed. "We play Team Jade, and Team Red plays Team Sires. From what I've heard one set of teams will play in this normal quidditch pitch and the other set will play in this pseudo-dimension pitch."  
  
"Which one do we get?" Selina asked.  
  
"The pseudo-dimensional one," Pamela replied. "Team Red didn't want to travel so far or something.You know, Harry Potter is on that team!"  
  
Selina couldn't conceal her interest. She wondered to herself why exactly she hadn't been told that before, but she didn't say anything. After making a mental note to get a good look at the all-famous Boy Who Lived Selina followed an equally interested Riley out the doors. The four women on the team met up with the three men, and after everyone had double-checked whether or not they were dressed properly, they went in search of Prof. Sprout.  
  
The tubby, kindly woman was rushing about when Team Titan found her, and she made wild motions for them to join her. "Come now, dears, you haven't much time! Take this portkey, and it'll make sure you get to the other quidditch pitch." She extended a bag to the twelve-team members-the remaining five had joined the others during their search for Sprout-and Riley dumped the clock-portkey onto the grassy ground.  
  
"Brooms are supplied, I assume?" Cho asked as everyone leaned down to grab the portkey. "I left mine at home."  
  
"Cleansweaps, the lot of them," Prof. Sprout said, nodding. "But please do hurry! I'd hate to see you all be disqualified for being tardy!"  
  
Well, that got everyone moving.  
  
In a surprisingly synchronized moment, all twelve team members of Team Titan leaned down and grabbed the portkey. Selina felt an unpleasant jerk behind her navel, and then she was hurtling through space. She landed with a thump on top of a soft patch of grass. It wasn't until the soft patch of grass moved that she realized that she had landed on a person. Snape, to be more exact. With a surprised 'meep' Selina jumped off the Potions Master, but not before Lucius saw. He gave a disgruntled snort and "accidentally" hit Snape's head with his Beater's club as he stomped past. There was an awkward silence after his departure in which Snape fidgeted uncomfortably and Selina's cheeks flushed. Riley broke the silence by telling them to both hurry, and as they entered the pseudo-reality quidditch pitch neither person would meet the others eyes.  
  
As Selina began to walk farther into the quidditch pitch, she began to notice various peculiar aspects about her new surroundings. The colors, for example. Everything was so vibrant, so effervescent. The sky, grass, and even the flowers were all electric shades. The white clouds in the sky swirled into actual shapes, and the woodwork that made up the stadium had constantly swirling and changing shapes moving about the surface. There were countless other things too, but Selina's attention was drawn back to quidditch match.  
  
Riley was talking quickly with a tall woman with spiky gray hair and large, catlike hazel eyes. The woman pointed to one side of the quidditch pitch, and Riley nodded before turning back to Team Titan. "Madame Hooch says that that's our side of the pitch," she called. "I trust you can all remember that?"  
  
"Let's just get the brooms!" Lucius snapped irritably. Selina highly suspected that all the bright colors were disturbing him.  
  
Team Jade was getting antsy, and the captain-he was chubby, red cheeked, and had a laughable look about him-strode up and said something to Madame Hooch. The woman waved her hand at the young man-"The git's name is Ernie Macmillan," Draco whispered-and then made a motion for everyone to gather round.  
  
"Let's keep this game clean, shall we? The rules are as always-team with the most points in the end wins! And be careful now!" Madame Hooch eyed the landscape and everything within it with distaste. "Make extra sure not to upset anything." Something in her voice was definitely agitated, if not frightened.  
  
There was an atmosphere throughout this odd dimension that was putting everybody on edge.Lucius, Madame Hooch, even Snape.Yes, everyone here was uneasy, and everyone wanted to go back home.  
  
Everybody but Selina.  
  
As the young redhead mounted her broom, she couldn't help but feel bothered by her peaceful feelings. When it was so obvious that all her friends and teammates were dying to get away, it seemed wrong that she would be so at ease. However, as soon her feet left the ground, Selina managed to push aside those feelings. All her concentration went in to staying in sync with Pamela and Cho.  
  
It wasn't easy at first. She might have known Pamela well, but Cho was pretty much a stranger, but even then getting adjusted to another's rhythms was difficult. And if there was any quidditch position that required a total fined tuned beat it was the Chasers. Finally, after a good thirteen minutes, the three girls began to get it together. Cho even scored a goal, causing Riley-who was across the field, chasing Bludgers-to let out a victorious whoop.  
  
The game picked up from that point. Team Jade, which Pamela had whispered was comprised mostly of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs, fought back with a ridiculous ferocity. Their Seeker, a Gryffindor, Selina assumed, spent more time following Draco and making snotty faces, than looking for the Snitch, but their Beaters, also Gryffindors, were ruthless. They actually flew at the Bludgers and hit them as hard as they could in whatever direction. Pamela gave a terrified shriek as one of the bludgeoning balls hurtled past her head and dropped the Quaffle. One of the Team Jade Chasers caught it, and they scored just moments later. The score was now thirty to ten in Team Jade's favor.  
  
The aforementioned Chaser fumbled the Quaffle when it came into his possession not five minutes later. He dropped it, and in a lucky dive, Pamela was able to grab it. She soared off towards the goal hoops, her jaw set in a determined fashion, when a Bludger came hurtling her way yet again. As had happened before Pamela screeched and threw her arms in front of her face. Lucius flew in front of her in time to hit the Bludger off towards a Team Jade Beater, but the Quaffle was already falling towards the unnatural grass. It was falling slowly, as Quaffles were enchanted to do, but a Team Jade Chaser was shooting towards it and would be able to grab it with ease. Without even considering the humiliation she might cause herself Selina dove for the scarlet ball.  
  
She reached it a few seconds before her opponent would have, and she managed to maneuver her broom properly so that she shot up and towards her goal posts, but suddenly things were happening so fast that it was difficult to do anything else. Players of all positions were circling around her, eyeing her cautiously, and Beaters tried to hit Bludgers towards her in attempts to make her fumble as Pamela did. Someone from above took pity on her, though, and Selina raced towards the goal hoops.  
  
A rush of adrenaline shot through her veins as the wind ruffled her hair. Cho flew above her, arms outstretched, and despite her wishes to score the next goal Selina tossed the Quaffle to her teammate. Cho winked and passed the ball on to Pamela. All three Chasers were within scoring range of their three goal hoops, and in the last moment, the Quaffle was passed back to Selina. The Keeper of Team Jade, a petite blonde girl, who had been expecting Pamela to score, was taken by surprise when Selina threw the ball towards the middle hoop. She had no time to block the red ball, and Lucius, in a rare moment of pride, swooped by his 'wife' and blew her a kiss.  
  
The kiss did not go unnoticed, and, even as Pamela and Cho giggled childishly at Selina's embarrassment, they could not guess that she was mortified not because of the public display of affection but because she had actually thought it to be sweet! Selina shot a look at Lucius-he and Riley were doing their best to work together, so he didn't notice her long and questioning gaze-before going off in pursuit of the Quaffle.  
  
Twenty-five minutes and seven scores later (four for Team Titan, putting them well in the lead) Selina was actually starting to admit that she was enjoying the sensations of playing quidditch. The adrenaline, the camaraderie between teammates, the sheer exhilaration of flying.If she had known that quidditch could be so pleasant she would have taken it up years ago. Her mood was further improved when she saw her stepson make a dive for what could only be the Golden Snitch.  
  
But, unfortunately, there are less pleasurable aspects of playing quidditch. Such as Bludgers flying at your unprotected belly. Selina never saw the ball come hurtling towards her, and by the time the others had it was too late. Selina had tumbled off her broom and was heading in a quick, spiraling descent. 


	7. Chapter 6: Part Two

PLEASE READ: Here's Part Two of the Hogwarts Competition. If you didn't read the first note posted at the top of Part One then go back and do so. It might answer some of your questions. Also, if anyone should like to join a mailing list then leave your email address in the form of an email and I'll tell you when each chapter is posted. Also, the conversation below is being held by two different people. Everything in-between two ~~ is one person's side and everything between two {} is another person's words. Other than that enjoy Part Two!  
  
~*~  
  
~Oh, look at her.She'll die if we don't help her!~  
  
{And if we help her then we'll be the ones dying!}  
  
~But she's one of-~  
  
{Don't you finish that sentence, do you hear me? Talk like that can be considered treason.}  
  
~Treason to whom? Our land has no rulers.Unless you think those three bigwigs! to be our monarchs! Honestly, I thought better of you!~  
  
{I still don't want to save her. She's human! It's her nature to die when her time comes!}  
  
~But her time hasn't come yet. She has something to fulfill. Even you must know that.~  
  
{I know what she's meant to do!}  
  
~Then let's go and rescue her! We don't have to appear-that'd frighten her husband half to death, wouldn't it?-but we can at least do something to prolong the crash.~  
  
{Well.Maybe.}  
  
~Oh, I knew I could count on you! Quickly now, before it's too late!~  
  
~*~  
  
Draco had caught the Snitch. It had been a close, neck-and-neck descent towards the fluttering golden ball, but Draco's arms were just a bit longer, and he had snatched the ball with one graceful 'swoop'. No one was more proud than Lucius at that moment. Ironically, no one was more horrified than he when he saw, out of the corner of his gray eye, a figure plummeting towards the grass-if it could even be called grass.  
  
With a great cry, Lucius launched himself towards his young wife, thinking only of how frightened Selina must have been when she was in his position, saving him. Lucius had always considered himself a fearless man, but he had always feared failure, and indeed failing to grab Selina in time was the most frightening of all things.  
  
The Cleansweep he was riding, however, wasn't as fast as his normal race brooms and Selina was falling faster than he could fly. Riley was making just as much effort as Lucius to reach her best friend, but with little more success. Riley turned the handle of her broom down in a steep nosedive, and Lucius was quick to follow.  
  
Someone had begun to scream-Lucius wasn't surprised to find that it was one of the Hufflepuffs-and just when he considered it a lost cause Selina all but froze in the air. Her downward descent, which, up until then, had been unrealistically fast, started descending as if falling through water, much like the Quaffles did.  
  
Riley, who had been charging towards Selina, stopped abruptly, causing her broom to do a midair tumble backwards. "Good Merlin, what happened to her?"  
  
Even Lucius was too surprised to move. Now, instead of plummeting to the ground, it looked as though someone was lowering her gently to that abnormal grass. All of a sudden, Lucius got the sense that there were people lowering her to the ground. Or maybe not people but.creatures. Creatures as unnatural as the bizarrely vibrant green grass and swirling wood! As soon as that thought entered his mind, he began shooting towards Selina, his intent on catching her reignited.  
  
Like hell he was going to let some freak of a being touch his wife!  
  
~*~  
  
Selina could see things happening around her, but she couldn't do a thing. She was falling, but she was falling to fast to stop herself. She suspected that even if she wasn't falling that she would still be unconscious.Or at least unable to move her limbs.  
  
Lucius and Riley were shooting towards her on their brooms, but they were going to slow. The ground loomed closer and closer with every second, but suddenly, without warning, two figures appeared by her side. They were beautiful people, one male and his companion female, just as exotic looking as the grass.  
  
The female's hair was a pale shade of grayish purple, long down to the backs of her knees, and it complimented her ivory skin perfectly. Her eyes were a deep jade green, and her shape was tall-she had to be at least six- two-and willowy.  
  
The man was just as wonderful looking. His hair was much darker, a deep shade of magenta, and his eyes were crisp and blue. He was tall as the lady was, perhaps six-six, and they both were breathtaking and regal.  
  
The man closed his hands around Selina's right arm and the woman clasped Selina's legs. They began to slowly descend to the Earth then, as if walking on invisible steps. Selina could see Riley and Lucius and all the others staring at her in shock-she must have started to fall much slower- but then the man said something.  
  
"I'd be careful if I were you," he whispered, and he spoke with a pleasantly lilting accent that was not at all British. They were nearing the ground now, but Lucius had given a start and was racing towards her. The man and woman looked at her husband, his face intent and cold, and where most would have turned and run they merely laughed, as if Lucius were nothing more than an amusing joke.  
  
"Your husband can sense us," the woman said. "It makes me wonder why he can't sense you. After all, you are-"  
  
"??????," the man hissed, using a name that was as foreign to Selina as his vibrant looks. "We agreed not to say anything!"  
  
"Say what?" Words finally came to Selina.  
  
"Say nothing," the man muttered. He shot a venomous look at the woman, and then he looked up at Lucius, who was coming closer with every second. "Your husband can save you now," he murmured.  
  
"Be smart, and don't tell him about us," the woman said. She looked Selina deep in the eyes. "He'll ask you about us, you can be sure about that, but just act like you truly were unconscious. Don't tell anyone you saw us."  
  
"But why can I see you? Why can't they?"  
  
"In that answer lays the answer to everything," the woman whispered. "At all costs you must find that answer, but we cannot begin to explain it to you."  
  
The man reprimanded the woman by slapping her hand, but gave Selina one last soft look. "Good luck, Selina."  
  
"Aren't you going to say goodbye?" Selina asked weakly.  
  
"This isn't even the beginning of goodbye," the man said, and he snapped his fingers.  
  
~*~  
  
Suddenly Selina was awakening. Lucius held her tightly in his arms, and he was flying softly to the ground. When he saw her eyes flutter and open he turned around and called to Riley, who was hovering right behind him, "She's awake, and she looks all right. Maybe a bruise on her stomach, but she's not going to die." He faced her again. "You do feel all right, don't you?" He looked suspiciously around Selina. "Nothing.frightening.happened to you?"  
  
Selina blinked, and then she picked up one the mystery woman's cue. "I don't remember.I just remember falling.And then there was blackness." Lucius looked far from convinced, but he didn't say anything else. He landed gently on the ground, and their teammates landed around them. The Team Jade captain rushed up to apologize, but Pamela sent him one cruel glare, and the chubby young man bustled off to join his friends.  
  
"Are you all right, Mrs. Malfoy?" Madame Hooch asked. "Do I need to call Madame Pomfrey? You shouldn't be traveling anywhere by portkey if you have injuries."  
  
Selina patted her stomach. She winced a bit-the soft flesh was still tender- but made a gesture that showed there were no real injuries. "I guess I'm lucky, huh?"  
  
Riley nodded brightly. "You sure as hell are!" she screeched.  
  
Lucius, however, frowned. "Let's just get back to the real world. I hate this.dimension. It's just so..disturbing."  
  
If Selina had had any second thoughts about telling Lucius about the two strange, exotic people they were destroyed. She would find only fear from him, and she didn't expect to find much more understanding within Riley. As everyone made their way back to where Madame Hooch had said the portkeys were Selina lagged behind. A beautiful, outrageously red flower swayed in the breeze. On an impulse, Selina reached down and plucked the flower, slipping it in her pant's pocket.  
  
"Selina! Hurry up!" Riley and the rest of Team Titan were waving for her to join them around the portkey. None of them seemed to notice that she had taken the flower, and for that, Selina was grateful. She jogged to catch up with her friends and to return to her own world.  
  
~*~  
  
Upon arriving back in her own world, Selina was swarmed by Dumbledore, Madame Pomfrey, and three other women who must have been acting as nurses. Apparently, someone had sent a message ahead informing everyone that she had been taken out by a Bludger. Despite her protests that she was absolutely fine she was swept off to a large tent acting as the on-grounds infirmary.  
  
Madame Pomfrey and the three nurses ushered her into one of the cubicles. "Sit on the bed, dear, and unbutton your shirt. I'm going to attend to someone else, but I'll be back in a moment to check you over for any internal injuries."  
  
"But I said I feel-"  
  
"No arguments! You took a Bludger to your stomach, and you need to be checked over!" Madame Pomfrey's sweet, motherly demeanor was replaced by something that resembled a Saber tooth tiger.  
  
With a sigh of resignation Selina sat down on the bed and began to remove her quidditch robes and unbutton the simple undershirt she had on underneath. After shrugging off the undershirt, she began to inspect the large black bruise on her stomach. She pressed the mark lightly and instantly regretted doing so. The skin began to throb, and thankfully, Madame Pomfrey returned a moment later.  
  
"Ah, see? I told you that you needed to be checked over. Now, does it hurt much?"  
  
"It throbs," Selina admitted. "Just fix me up, and I'll be fine."  
  
Madame Pomfrey shook her head. "No you won't. You'll stay here and wait for the Headmaster to say whatever he wanted to tell you."  
  
Selina's stomach clenched unpleasantly. Dumbledore wanted to say something to her? "What do you mean?" she asked, squirming as Madame Pomfrey pressed a glowing wand against her belly. The nurse frowned and waved her hands for silence. After determining that Selina was indeed all right, she answered.  
  
"He wants you to answer a few questions about the circumstances of your injuries," she said briskly.  
  
Selina knew better. "If it's all the same to you then I'll just be on my way. I have to find my friend Riley. She'll be worried."  
  
Madame Pomfrey opened her mouth to protest, but it wasn't her voice who replied. "Sit back down, Ms. Julliard." Dumbledore stepped into the small cubicle. The mood that played upon his face was not totally reprimanding, but Selina sat back down on the bed anyway. Madame Pomfrey made excuses to leave, and then they were alone.  
  
"I assume you want to ask me about Lucius again?" Selina asked.  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "Something to that degree," he said as he sat beside Selina and folded his hands. "Ms. Julliard, your husband is a.shifty man. He's done bad things, dangerous things, and I can't guarantee that you'll not get caught in the crossfire if you don't leave him."  
  
Selina narrowed her eyes. As roguish as Lucius may seem, and as much of a bastard as he was towards most people, he wasn't an inherently bad person.And even if he was, that was Selina's business to handle! "Really, now?"  
  
Luckily for his sake Dumbledore sensed Selina's hostility. "I don't want you to get hurt, Selina. I truly don't want you to get hurt."  
  
"I can handle myself. I'm a big girl." Selina felt so clichéd, using those lines. She knew something was wrong, but she ignored that.  
  
"You're right. You are a big girl. I can't make you do anything you don't want you. I can only ask you to think about what I've said." He gave her a cheery smile. "Now, you really should go and find your teammates. I'm sure that Ms. Duraford is very worried. And I heard Ms. Bryce mention that they'll need your help in the final competition."  
  
Selina laughed nervously and stood with the headmaster. He had changed the mood quickly, and just in time. "Yes, I will thank you." She hurried out of the cubicle and almost straight into one of the volunteer nurses. After apologizing quickly and straitening her robe, she turned back to Dumbledore, a question on her lips. "If you don't mind me asking, what exactly is the next competition.?"  
  
~*~  
  
"A dance off!" Lucius roared. "I've always said that the man was bloody mad! This just proves it!"  
  
Selina couldn't help but smirk. Since her return to the library fifteen minutes ago Lucius's mood had done nothing but worsen. Really, he looked his best when he was angry.But that was beside the point. The true point was that she had little less than an hour to put together a dance number with Lucius. Early on, she had decided that he would work best with her. Draco was too lazy, Robbie was too shy towards her, Mr. Chang didn't have enough grace, and she just didn't feel like dealing with Snape.  
  
"And why do you get to be in charge?" Lucius asked, turning his anger on the young woman.  
  
"Because," Riley called from a corner of the library, "she's the best dancer I know."  
  
Lucius raised an eyebrow. His expression turned from furious to mildly interested. "Eh? Is that so?"  
  
"My mother was a wonderful dancer. She taught me everything she knew.Waltz, tango, swing dancing.I suppose I'm well enough."  
  
Riley gave a long, braying laugh. "Well enough? Selly, you can dance like the devil!"  
  
Selina's face remained determined as she began to stretch. Lucius, unsure of what exactly he was to do, followed her graceful movements, but his movements were jerky and unrefined. "You're trying too hard," Selina said after watching her 'husband' for a minute. "Dancing takes trying and concentration, of course, but not with such seriousness."  
  
She stood with one fluent motion and held up her hand, motioning for Lucius to be still in his movements. Pamela, who had been the only person to stay and watch Selina and Lucius practice, was quite surprised when her mistress pressed up against Lucius's back. Selina's arms reached up and molded over Lucius's until they could have been the same person. Slowly but elegantly Selina began to do the stretches again, only now Lucius did it along with her. At first, the redhead met with some resistance-Lucius still wanted to do things his way-but after ten minutes the two moved with poise. It was only then that Selina let go of Lucius.  
  
She turned his back to him then, so it was only Pamela who saw Lucius smile softly and rub the back of his arms, as if he could still feel her warmth. "Now let's try to get in rhythm with each other," Selina said, straitening herself to her full height. "After that things will be easier for me to orchestrate." Lucius merely shrugged, and then he held out his arms. Selina placed his right hand around her waist and his left hand on her right shoulder. She wrapped both arms around his neck and began to sway to a tune that only the two of them could hear.  
  
Pamela watched with interest as Selina taught her 'husband' the finer points of dancing. She told him to twirl her, and he did so effortlessly. Lucius said something in a low voice, and Selina laughed warmly. Pamela could only smile and slip away. She wanted Selina to be happy, and if everything worked out as it should, Lucius would make her very happy.  
  
~*~  
  
Oh, but god, was Selina nervous! Team Red had won the quidditch match, "with the help of Saint Potter", as Draco had grumbled earlier. She had no idea how good her opponents were, or but she did know that they were desperate to win. One of the Weasley boys-they all looked the same to Selina-had come by not ten minutes before the competition started. Selina had been around the corner, so she had only heard the snipe snicker about how they were all "going down!"  
  
Now it was just minutes before Team Red's act would go on. Dumbledore was standing in the middle of the quidditch pitch, on top of a large, shiny stage much different from the ones that had been there earlier in the day. "Welcome, everyone, to the final competition!" Dumbledore cried, and the entire stadium cheered with him. "As you may well know, this competition is a dance off." A wave of snickers overtook the crowd. It was apparent enough that no one took this seriously. They had probably just come to see who won: the Weasley's team or the Malfoy's team. "The dance off, unlike the other competitions, allows only two participants. Those two participants will have six minutes to present you all with a dance number that they have worked out before this. They will be judged by the reaction of the reaction of the crowd."  
  
Dumbledore glanced down at a card he held in his hand. "Team Red will be going first. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger will be representing their team." Dumbledore's face creased into a smile, and he joined in the clapping as two figures, the first a tall, gangly redhead and the second the girl Selina had been speaking with, took the stage. The both of them were dressed in robes of deep blue. The girl, Hermione Granger, looked very nervous, but as soon as the soft, melodic music began and the boy's arms went around her then she instantly relaxed. It was evident to all that those two were a very happy couple.  
  
The Weasley boy and his girlfriend were clearly not dancers. They merely swayed together, not bothering to truly dance, simply enjoying the moment. Every so often, the boy would twirl the girl, and she would giggle girlishly. Whatever they lacked in dancing skills, they made up for in the mood they put their audience. Everyone was entranced, and their constant claps and cheers continued into the last spin, after which most everybody, Slytherins not included, burst into an approving applause.  
  
"Oh, Riley!" Selina whispered, feeling a hand upon her shoulder. "We'll never beat that!"  
  
"Yes, we will." Selina jumped when she heard Lucius's voice purring in her ear. She supposed that he was trying to be seductive, but she was too edgy to care.  
  
"But everyone loves them! Everyone can see that they love each other! We don't have anything anywhere near that!" Selina knees were shaking, but that could be credited to the fact that Lucius was massaging her shoulders, and not because she was chilly.  
  
"We," Lucius whispered, and Selina could practically see him smirk, "have something far more interesting. If they are everything perfect, Selina, then we are everything imperfect. Our faults make us stronger. Our arguments make us wiser."  
  
Selina had turned to look him in the eyes, for she had a feeling that her 'husband' was driving at something deeper, but then Dumbledore stepped up on stage." Splendid! That was simply splendid! All in all, you racked up a nine-point-eight!"  
  
From somewhere behind her Selina heard a hissing voice whisper, "Try and beat that!"  
  
To which Lucius replied, "We don't even have to try!"  
  
"Now it's time fore Team Titan to present their number! Their captain tells me that Lucius Malfoy and his wife Selina will be performing, so please, give them your attention!" Dumbledore began to clap, while others began to make rude noises. The lights in the quidditch pitch went out, as Selina had requested, and she stepped onto the stage in almost complete darkness.  
  
~*~  
  
The music started before the lights went back up. For a few moments, all the onlookers knew was the sweet, slow, dreamy song. It serenaded them, almost as much as the woman standing in the middle of the stage when light flooded the pitch again. She was pretty, though in a way all her own. Her hair was a swirl of unruly red curls, her eyes were green and lively, her smile as sweet as it was strange. Her dress was black and bordered on scandalous. The skirt of her dress swished about right below her knees, but a slit in the skirt came to halfway up her thigh, exposing pale skin and a few freckles. The younger men in the crowd, especially the married ones, found the pale skin surprisingly arousing.  
  
The woman began to dance, and it became apparent that dancing was her passion. The way she arched her body during turns, the way her legs moved smoothly and so intricately, the way her whole body seemed to become a part of the song, and the deep look on her face showed how much she was enjoying herself. Before the crowd could fully take in the woman, however, there was a 'pop' and a man appeared directly behind her.  
  
Lucius Malfoy and his wife Selina.  
  
~*~  
  
Selina did her best to mold into Lucius as he wrapped his body around her from behind. With careful movements they became one, twirling slowly and dipping with style. He buried her nose in her red curls, and had they been anywhere else, Selina would have snarled at him to stop sniffing her. But somehow, at that moment, it all seemed perfect.  
  
"All right, Lucius," she whispered as he twirled her around in a full spiral. "The music's going to pick up in three.two.one!"  
  
Right on cue the tempo changed from sweet and dreamy to fast and Latin. The emphasize the change Lucius actually flipped Selina over his arm. The surprised young woman landed squarely on her feet, but she had little time to stare at her husband before they were off again. They became part of the music with their twirls, dips, and fast-paced footwork. Selina and Lucius had agreed on no real plan because they had been confident enough that they would find their own.  
  
For the first time in her life, Selina was actually glad to be with Lucius. No other would have been able to dance with her like he did. As much as she regretted to admit it no one else would have made her feel so alive. As Lucius pulled her close to his body the moment inspired him to kiss her right on the lips, in front of everyone. Also caught up in the moment, Selina allowed him to.  
  
It was only when the music ended that Selina realized that had forgotten to watch the clock. Their six minutes were up, and they were still kissing. Disgust at her 'husband' for being so forward and disgust at herself for allowing him to seized her body. Oh, lord, what Riley must think of her.With as much dignity as possible Selina broke the kiss. She bowed once and strode off stage, leaving Lucius to stand stupidly in the spotlight.  
  
She was ashamed of herself!  
  
She had been drunk on the attention, or some such thing, and she had allowed him to kiss her! The very man she had been avoiding! The kiss would, of course, lead to a deep conversation, and he might possibly command her to sleep with him.  
  
"Miss Selina?"  
  
Selina froze. It was Draco. Of all the people to catch her after so obviously ditching Lucius it had to be her stepson. Oh, he must think her to be some sort of floozy.  
  
"You were magnificent out there." Draco's tone was measured, as if he wasn't sure exactly what to say, but his face showed how impressed he really was. Riley crept up behind him, and she looked impressed as well.  
  
"He's right. Can't you hear them?"  
  
Selina shook her head. "No, Riley, I can't hear a thing. No one's cheering, no one's roaring, and no one's applauding."  
  
Riley gave Selina a brilliant smile. "That's my point, Selly. You shocked them into silence!"  
  
The other members of Team Titan were appearing around Selina. All but Lucius. She suspected that his wounded pride would not allow him to resurface until it was time to leave. Everyone was staring at her in shocked awe.  
  
"Oh, Miss Selina! You were so beautiful," Pamela whispered, and Selina didn't even bother to correct her friend. Besides, she had a feeling that even if she wasn't really beautiful that everyone else believed she was so. Perhaps it was an enchantment that would only last the night, in which case Selina had only six hours left.  
  
"Thank you, Pamela," Selina said softly. Suddenly she had an urge to escape the crown surrounding her. She knew that she was supposed to be with someone else.  
  
"We're going to win, you know," Riley was saying now, and her smile had changed to a victorious smirk. "I just know it! Did you see their faces?"  
  
"I must admit, Malfoy did come through." Mr. Chang looked reluctant to admit that Lucius Malfoy could be credible at anything, but he also looked strangely proud to be a part of such a team.  
  
"Did you see the way he was looking at Selina?" Cho asked her mother. She thought Selina couldn't hear her. "I don't care what Daddy says. He loves her, Mum. In his own, weird way."  
  
Mrs. Chang shushed her daughter. "Don't talk about such things! Selina Malfoy and her husband have a right to be left to their own affairs!" Mrs. Chang's voice dropped a notch then. "But he did look at her as though he wanted to eat her up, didn't he?" Selina saw Cho nod in the darkness, and all wishes to attend the masquerade fled her. She and Lucius would be the most talked about people after that dance. She didn't want to deal with the probing eyes.  
  
"Pamela?" she called in a near silent voice that only her friend heard.  
  
"Yes, Miss-"  
  
"Just plain Selina, please."  
  
"Well then, Selina, what do you want?"  
  
Selina looked over to where Dumbledore was discussing something with Prof. Sprout. "I'm going to go into Hogsmeade, all right? I'll find Lucius there, and we'll spend the night in some hotel. Separate rooms, of course."  
  
"Of course," Pamela repeated.  
  
"Just make a few excuses for me, will you?"  
  
"Certainly, Miss-er-Selina." Pamela waved as Selina as the young redhead slunk over to where Dumbledore was. Once she was sure that her new friend was out of earshot she muttered, "Separate rooms? Ten galleons say they make it to bed before midnight."  
  
~*~  
  
Lucius had been utterly and completely humiliated, more so then the swimming incident earlier that day. He had kissed Selina-God strike him down with lightening for doing a thing such as kissing his wife-and she had walked off stage as soon as she could! She had left him there, standing in all the blinding lights, looking like a lovesick schoolboy. If anyone had doubted that there were troubles in his new marriage, now then that display had made them believers.  
  
After making a hasty exit on the opposite side of the stage as Selina, Lucius had tromped on down to Hogsmeade. He had made his way to the Three Broomsticks, and there he proceeded to get drunk on cheap wine, for Malfoys never got drunk on anything as common as beer or the strong whisky that Hagrid downed. Madame Rosemerta looked as though she wanted to stop sending him alcohol, but he did give generous tips, and the money won out. It wasn't until the seventh glass of wine that the intoxicating red liquid stopped coming.  
  
Lucius tried to flag down one of the barmaids so that he could take the matter up with one of them, but all of them avoided him like the Black Plague. Eventually Lucius was able to find the source of the liqueur drought. Mind you, all he saw was the back of the woman's head, but he was sure as anything that the short, curvy redhead speaking with Madame Rosemerta was his wife.  
  
'Damn her, with all her gutsy American ways.Thinks she can leave me hanging and then comes down and tells the bartender not to give me anymore wine!' Lucius glared at his wife, who was sharing a good laugh, probably at his expense, with Madame Rosemerta. She turned around for a second, and her laugh was cut short when she saw the dour look on his face.  
  
"Thank you so much for the offer, Rosie,"-since when did she know Rosemerta enough to call her Rosie?-"but I think Lucius here needs to get up to our room as soon as possible." Selina pursed her lips in a haughty manner, but her eyes were shining with mocking and mirth. "After all, who knows who might see him in this state? He might damage the Malfoy name!" She was mocking him! The little Southern vixen.  
  
"Need any help, honey?" Madame Rosemerta looked mildly worried. "This one has a nasty temper."  
  
Selina put her hands on her hips. "I can hold my own, Rosie. Room ten's for us?"  
  
"Best in the house, and it's on the house. Anything for the daughter of Esme Julliard." Madame Rosemerta tossed Selina a golden key and winked.  
  
"I'll say goodbye in the morning when I leave," Selina promised as she made her way to Lucius. Lucius noticed that Rosemerta was standing nearby, despite Selina's assurances that she would be all right. The pretty bartender had a deep scowl on her face, directed towards Lucius, just daring him to make trouble. Lucius decided not to give her the satisfaction of being right. He allowed Selina to help him up from his booth, and he did his best not to stumble after her.  
  
Selina walked briskly-Lucius knew she did that just to vex him-towards the back of the Three Broomsticks. There was a simple wooden door in the back- Lucius had never noticed it before-and she stuck the golden key in the lock. "Room ten, Selina Julliard and Lucius Malfoy." The lock jiggled for a second, and then the door swung open with a small 'click'.  
  
"Come on, Lucius. You don't even need to walk up the stairs. Rosie says that they move magically." She grabbed his shirt-he was still wearing the black ruffled V-neck silk shirt she had forced him to wear for the dance off-and dragged him onto the first step. As she had said, they began to move upwards, towards the second floor, magically. When they reached the top of the stairway, in fact, the floor moved them down the hallway until they reached a door with a silver ten on it.  
  
"This is it?" Lucius asked.  
  
Selina nodded and wordlessly stuck the key in the door. She pushed it open and stepped inside. "There's only one bed, and then there's a couch. I'll take the couch, okay? Unless you want the couch. I think it might be closer to the bathroom, and you might be making some runs in the night."  
  
Lucius frowned. "I insist that you take the bed. I'll sleep on the couch." He followed her into the inn room and found the couch, which was in the small room right off the kitchen.  
  
Selina, however, continued down the hall and into the bedroom. Just before closing the door to the bedroom, she gave him a strange look. She looked as though she wanted to say something, but her pride was getting in the way. Finally, she shut the door, leaving Lucius hanging once again.  
  
~*~  
  
So, the game's on, isn't it? Now it's not just you I'm after-it's your husband.  
  
Do you really think that he jumped in that lake of his own free will? No, he needed a little.encouragement.  
  
Don't worry, I didn't want to kill you.No, I just wanted to mess with your mind.But I didn't mean for that Bludger to take you out. And I definitely didn't mean for those two dolts to save you.  
  
Make you mistake, honey. Those two won't be giving you any hidden messages any time so. I'll make sure of that.And I'd make sure that, if I were you, that I wouldn't go looking too deeply into their little riddle.  
  
Their kind isn't too popular in this world, and the deeper you look, the more you'll find out about your kind.  
  
As always, Selina, sweet dreams.I'll be watching you.  
  
~*~  
  
Lucius was having one hell of a night. The couch was lumpy and the material was scratchy, and the thin blanket that he had found in the closet was no help with the drafts that breezed through the inn room. Around midnight he got up to go and fetch another blanket. As he passed in front of the bedroom door he heard a cry-Selina's cry, to be more exact.  
  
At first Lucius thought that she was merely talking in her sleep. He continued on to grab his blanket, but his hand froze when he heard another cry. This one was much more anguished than the last, and Lucius was suddenly reminded of Selina's stay in the hospital and how pale she had looked. Without a second moment's thought, he rushed down the hall and into her room. When he saw his wife's state he was momentarily floored.  
  
During the course of the night Selina had thrown off her covers. She had entangled in the dull white sheets, and she was writhing within them, as if someone was physically attacking her. Great, terrified sobs escaped her lips, and a coat of sweat plastered her hair to her forehead.  
  
"No, no, no! Oh, please, no!"  
  
A string of petrified words escaped Selina's mouth. Lucius's stunned spell was broken, and he rushed to the bed to awaken her. Taking her in his arms, he shook her gently and then harder when she wouldn't wake up. Her condition wasn't much different when she finally did awaken then when she had been asleep. If anything it worsened.  
  
"Where am I? Where am I? Oh, god, it's watching me!"  
  
She began struggling in Lucius's hold, and when he wouldn't let her escape she began shrieking as loudly as she could. Afraid that her cries would bring other guests or Madame Rosemerta herself, Lucius began to soothe Selina by rubbing her arms and whispering, "It'll be all right." Eventually- and thankfully-Selina's shrieks were calmed to quiet sniffles. Only then did she truly awaken. Lucius saw her eyes flutter in the dim lighting of the room, and she looked around her wildly, apparently confused as to how he had gotten there.  
  
"Is it gone?" she asked in a voice that was barely her own.  
  
"It? Who's it?"  
  
Selina looked around her again. Her green eyes had narrowed, and she even looked at Lucius suspiciously. "It haunts me. It wants me." She sounded childishly afraid and alone. "I must sound crazy to you." She pulled her knees up to her chest and sighed deeply.  
  
"I don't think you're crazy." Honestly, Lucius didn't know what to think about Selina's nightmare. He pretended, though, that he meant what he said. He kept rubbing her arms, and after a while, he even chanced kissing her bare shoulder. Selina shivered, but that only caused her to begin shaking. "You know, a good shot of vodka always calms my nerves." Selina looked up. She looked intrigued, and Lucius continued. "Rosemerta should have some liquor around here. Wait for a second, and I'll get you some."  
  
He stood from the bed and made his way to a cabinet he had seen earlier. Sure enough, he found several bottles of alcohol. He selected a large purple bottle and a small glass from the cabinet and returned to the bedroom. Selina had brought her legs up to her chest, and her hand reached for the glass as soon as Lucius had poured the amber liquid. She coughed as she downed the first glass, but after the second and third-Narcissa had always been a girl to hold her drink, so he didn't think to deny Selina booze-she seemed to be in her own. It was only too late that Lucius realized that Selina was the type to get drunk after only a few sips of alcohol.  
  
Her new smile was too big, she giggled too much, but the moment she leaned over and kissed him, Lucius stopped caring.  
  
~*~  
  
Selina was awoken the next morning by a gentle breeze. She lay in bed, enjoying the cool air on the back of her neck, until she realized that the cool breeze was actually warm, and that it wasn't actually a breeze but someone's breath. Memories from the night before began streaming back slowly. She had had too much to drink-Lucius kept giving her glasses of that booze that had burned her throat so wonderfully-and she had gotten an urge to taste Lucius's lips, to see if any alcohol from earlier that night still clung to his lips. One thing had led to another and now.  
  
Selina could only remember that their coupling had left Lucius sated and sleepy and her feeling empty but tired. She had felt no real pleasure, and she had rolled away from him as soon as he was done. She had fallen asleep soon after him, but somewhere in the course of the night, his arms had found their way around her waist. In the struggle to free herself from his embrace, Selina awoke Lucius. He gave a groggy groan, sat up, and put his hand to his forehead.  
  
"Bloody hell, I've got a hangover," he muttered. He groaned again, and then he rolled over to the opposite side of the bed. Selina, who had just started to feel the pangs of her own hangover, thought that he hadn't noticed her until she tried to go to the bathroom. "Last night." he said, trailing off in hopes that she would finish his sentence.  
  
"Was a mistake. I was drunk. Under the influence. Don't you think the same?" she turned around to face Lucius. He had stood to his full height, which Selina was reminded was a good nine inches taller than she, and a dark, stormy looked crossed his face.  
  
"I suppose it was," he muttered, and Selina could not truly find any reason for him to be angry. Still, as she stepped out of her shower twenty minutes later, she found all traces of him gone. He had left only a note, written in a hurried scrawl, that he and Arielle would be going over various documents and that he would be back at the manor late that evening.  
  
'Arielle DeSanders.What a cheap hat trick!' As the young Southern girl tore up her 'husband's' note, the steam practically coming out of her ears, she denied herself any grief. So Lucius Malfoy wanted to play dirty and make a fool out of her? He had no idea with whom he was fighting. 


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: Well, it's been a while since I've last updated.As you might have noticed, I'm horrible at keeping posts close together. Well, lots happens in this chapter. Selina gets some pets-they WILL be explained duly within the course of this chapter-and some.life altering surprises. Oh, and once again there is a two person conversation that is separate from the rest of the world.Or something like that. The words in between the ~H~ indicate one person's dialogue, the words in between the {H} indicate another. Enjoy and review!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. They all belong to J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., and several other big companies. No money is being made of this story.  
  
~*~  
  
Selina's curly red hair blew wildly in the wind. The thin green ribbon that had held her hair in a tight bun had blown away in the storm's bluster, and she had long ago stopped trying to keep her hair presentable. Her pale pink dress was ruined as well. She had tripped and fallen in a muddy puddle ten minutes ago, and the front of her dress was absolutely soaked with dirty water. She would, no doubt, be in for quite a telling off when she returned to the manor. Ms. Laverne had been very critical of her lately, ever since she had arrived back from the Hogwarts competition. Selina had started to suspect that Lucius was involved with that. He had been strangely distant from everyone, and he was often away on "business."  
  
"Oi, Selina! Wait up!"  
  
Selina turned around to see Pamela dashing towards her. Pamela had finally begun to call her by her first name, and she now they acted more like sisters than a maid and her employer. Riley rounded out the trio, and she stopped by the manor as often as possible. However, Riley was getting bored of being cooped up in a mansion bought by Lucius Malfoy. She had confided in Selina her urge to begin her own business, and so she had set off two days ago to haggle over the price of an empty building in Diagon Alley. She was expected back in two days, and Selina had been rather bored without her wisecracking best friend.  
  
When Pamela caught up with her Selina found that she was not much better off than she. Pamela's simple lavender dress was covered in grass stains and the entire hem was dripping with muddy water. Pamela's usually stick strait gold-blonde hair had twigs and bits of grass in it, as if the woman had taken a nasty fall a ways back, and her hands were covered in mud.  
  
"Selina, why are we out here in the storm?" Pamela's sky blue eyes were squinted nearly shut, and her thin arms were wrapped tightly around her shivering body. "Ms. Laverne will go mad when she sees the mess we've made of ourselves."  
  
Selina smirked in a way she had just recently picked up from her 'husband'. "Let her have a fit," she muttered. Ms. Laverne was the least of her worries at the moment. "And besides, I didn't ask you to come. I gave you the afternoon off."  
  
Pamela rolled her eyes. "Stay around and let Ms. Laverne glare moodily at me? I think not!" She looked around the expansive back lawns of Malfoy Manor. Selina had wandered off from the cobblestone path that led from the maze of gardens and small courtyards down to the lake behind the manor, and she was headed for the small, weathered shed that Lucius had told her all the garden supplies were held in.  
  
"Remember yesterday when you weren't feeling well? And I told you to go and have an early evening?" When Pamela nodded Selina went on. "Well, as you might imagine, with nobody to talk to, I grew quite bored. Ms. Laverne got tired of me wandering the halls of the manor, exploring the place, so she told me to go to the library and poke around in there."  
  
"I take it you found something of interest." It had begun to rain, and Pamela, who had been clutching her colonial cap in her right hand, pulled it over her head to keep the rain off. The flimsy cap was exceedingly ineffective, and she began walking more quickly towards the shed.  
  
Selina simply nodded, then grinned sheepishly. "Well, not at first," she admitted. "In fact, it took me three hours to find anything to captivate my attention. I had been looking through old volumes in the farthest corner of the library, and one happened to catch my eye. It was a thick, medium sized green handbook, or so I thought at first. Upon opening it I found it to be the diary of Havana Malfoy." Selina produced the green diary from under her dress. "She lived three hundred and fifty years ago. She, like I, was married at a very young age, only sixteen. She was an orphan also, but her uncle had raised her until the time she was married. He had died of an unnamed disease, and Gregorio Malfoy seized this opportunity to get her to marry him. Her uncle hadn't been very rich, so Havana had no choice but to marry the man."  
  
"Sounds like a certain someone I know," Pamela quipped.  
  
"I thought so too! Well, it turns out that Havana wasn't treated very well. Her husband didn't even provide her with a maid in hopes that she might make a new friend. Well, eventually, after being married to Gregorio for two years, I came to this entry." Selina opened the diary and handed it to Pamela.  
  
April 8th, 1646  
  
Dearest Diary,  
  
It saddens me to see the sun break through yonder clouds. Now, understandably, I should be greatly pleased with the least bit of sun after the torrents of rain that ruined Sir's crops.  
  
"Sir?" Pamela asked. "Who's he?"  
  
"That's what Havana called her husband. She said it was because he was so stiff. He thought of it rather as an endearment," Selina answered.  
  
But still, it saddens me. Such is it in this drafty manor that sun barely ever shines through the curtains. I was told that it was because Sir's grandmother-she died three years before the two of us were wed-hated the sunlight. Some whisper that the old crone was a vampire, but that is far beside my point.  
  
I am so lonely here at Malfoy Manor. Sir loves me, I know, but it is his own, cold, distant sort of love. The servants barely talk to me, and I am left much to my own accords. I have asked quite often for a pet, maybe a puppy or an owl, but Sir is allergic to most animals, and besides, I doubt he would appreciate me coming to love anything more than he.  
  
And then the idea stuck me! Why not begin my own garden? And not any trifle by the manor, mind you. As I previously mentioned, some three months ago, when I explored the woods behind the manor I discovered there to be a broken down fort, most likely made for the pleasure of Malfoys past.  
  
"She goes on to say that she created the garden. It was an escape for her. Eventually, however, she had children, three boys, three girls, and left the garden in permanent bloom. She wrote that, to any woman who had been in her state, would be able to find the garden and pick up where she left off." Selina flipped to the back of the book, where a note was scribbled in Havana Malfoy's scrawl.  
  
To all the future Mrs. Malfoys,  
  
If you have found my diary and read it over than you must know that, for the first five years of my marriage to Gregorio Malfoy, I was very unhappy. I had no family left, and no friends to speak of. To any woman in my state of despair, take comfort in this book. The garden will be open only to you, and your names will be recorded in silence. We are the Lonely Ones, and we will not be forgotten.  
  
With All My Good Wishes,  
Havana Dianna Malfoy  
  
Under her names there were five others: Siana L. Malfoy, Tyrana C. Malfoy, Cerpathia K. Tryce, Juliet G. Malfoy, and, most recently, Selina A. Julliard.  
  
Pamela raised an eyebrow. "Why are you and Cerpathia Tryce the only ones to retain your maiden names?"  
  
"Because, once you become at peace with your husband the name you signed changes to Malfoy."  
  
"But Cerpathia Tryce lived two-hundred-thirty years ago. What happened to her?"  
  
They had reached the shed, and Pamela had stepped under the shelter, but Selina paused uncomfortably, still in the now pouring rain. "I did a bit of research, and I found that Cerpathia Tryce committed suicide. By hanging. And her husband married another woman within the month."  
  
Pamela snorted distastefully and opened the shed's door. "What a pig."  
  
"Just like Lucius," Selina muttered, and Pamela fell silent. They began rummaging through the garden supplies, selecting spades, hoes, and shovels, and dropping them into a box until Selina let out a startled cry.  
  
"Dead dog!"  
  
Pamela was swift to join the young red head's side, and she pushed Selina aside gently and knelt beside the lifeless animal. "It's still warm," she said, "so I estimate that it passed on only this morning." Then Pamela frowned. "But its teats look full." And then she gasped. Selina saw it at the same time.  
  
"Puppies!"  
  
~*~  
  
"A puppy?" Lucius stared at Ms. Laverne with a blank expression, as if puppies were entirely foreign to him. "She wants to keep a puppy she found by the lake?"  
  
Ms. Laverne pursed her lips and nodded. "Truthfully, Mr. Malfoy, it's crups. She wants to keep two baby crups."  
  
Lucius gripped his cane and sneered. "Baby whatsists?"  
  
"Baby crups. Don't tell me you've never heard of crups." Lucius's expression could have stopped a clock. Ms. Laverne bowed her head in apology. Her years at Malfoy Manor had made her haughty for a servant, and she should best remember her place with Lucius Malfoy. "Crups," she said, "are little magical creatures that look like Jack Russell terriers, save the fact that they have forked tails. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them says that crups are ferocious towards muggles but that they're steadfastly loyal to wizards. Miss Selina found two young crups, only a few months old, out in the fields earlier this afternoon. Their mum's dead, and she wants to keep them."  
  
Lucius's sneer deepened. "We shall see about this," he growled before throwing his study door open and storming down the gloomy hall. He didn't have to seek his wife out, as he had thought he would, however, for she came to him. For a moment, though, Lucius wondered if the woman before him was even his wife.  
  
Selina was smiling. He had seen her smile before, of course, but never at him, and never so widely. Her green eyes shone happily, and there was a new bounce to her step. In each arm she cradled a tiny puppy of a creature. Like Ms. Laverne has said, the crup looked like a Jack Russell, but they were both black, which Lucius knew no Jack Russell terrier to be, with floppy ears and a shot of a larger breed in them. They appeared to be only partly crup, but the purity of their blood mattered not to him at that moment.  
  
All that mattered was the smile.  
  
Lucius actually felt the sneer disappear, and then, even more bizarrely, he felt himself smile softly. Behind him Ms. Laverne stood stiffly, watching in disbelief, as Lucius extended his arms. "May I hold one?" he asked.  
  
Selina's smile broadened, and she extended the one with smaller crup. "That's the girl," she explained, in her heavy Southern drawl. "She's Artemis, and this little fellow is Apollo." In case Lucius was too stupid to understand what she meant, she added, "You know, like the Greek gods."  
  
Lucius cradled the crup and nodded. "I suppose you'll want to keep them?" he asked.  
  
Selina's eyes brightened even more. "Oh, could I? I swear they'll be no trouble to you!" Before Lucius could reply she had thrown her arms around his neck in a shocking display of affection. The little crup pups gave small whimpers at their precarious positions-pressed in between the bodies of their new mother and that of a strange man-and Selina backed away slowly. She scooped the girl crup from Lucius's arms and turned back towards the direction of her own rooms. "Thank you, Lucius. Thank you. You don't know what this means to me."  
  
Lucius could only nod. Never in his life would he have expected Selina to treat him so cordially. She had been quite the little wench since their arrival back from Hogwarts, dropping hints about old beaus and smiling flirtatiously at any man who crossed the threshold of Malfoy Manor, including his own brother, Lucifer, who had stopped in two days ago. A strange glint of pride came over Selina whenever Lucius began to turn a pale shade of red, especially in Lucifer's case.  
  
Ms. Laverne noticed too. "Quite a change of heart," she said slowly, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.  
  
"Quite." Lucius shook his head quickly and turned towards his study, in the opposite direction. "She's so sparkly when she's happy," he observed aloud, to no one but himself.  
  
"Sparkly, Mr. Malfoy?" Ms. Laverne asked disbelievingly. "This is Miss Selina we're talking about, correct? She can hardly be considered sparkly." But she trailed off when she saw her master shrug and continue to saunter off. He seemed his regular self now, no longer mumbling or smiling softly in a way that did not at all suit his pale face. If she herself had not seen the strange, tingly look in his eyes than Delilah Laverne would never have believed it possible.  
  
Lucius Malfoy was falling in love.  
  
~*~  
  
Selina hated doctor's offices. She hated the too sterile rooms, the long waits, the unearthly quietness that befell them, and the strangers that insisted on prodding her with all sorts of gizmos. However, Riley and Pamela insisted, and together the two made a force to be reckoned with. She had no choice but to make an appointment with Lucius's pricey but "brilliant" doctor, a man by the name of Carkfunkell.  
  
"It's not as if I really have a sickness," she complained for the millionth time while sitting on Carfunkell's large, shiny, silver examining table. Pamela and Riley, tired of her thousands of complaints, didn't listen. "I've only thrown up a few times over the past few days, and the nausea is sure to pass."  
  
"The doctor will be here in a few moments," Pamela snapped, and Selina made a good show of being hurt.  
  
As if on cue the door to the small room swung open and a handsome young man stepped in. "Dr. Reginald Carfunkell," he said, grinning toothily at the room full of young women. "Which of you is Mrs. Malfoy?"  
  
"I am," Selina said. She couldn't help but feel her day was perking up. Dr. Carfunkell was much younger and much handsomer than she had expected him to be.  
  
"Of course," he said. "The most unique one of all." He strode over to Selina and continued speaking. "My family's been doctoring the Malfoys for three centuries, and they've always had the most unique wives." He took out a stethoscope and, after lifting up the thin paper hospital dress, began to listen to her breathing. "Josiah Malfoy's wife was half fairy. Now that was an unusual pairing if I ever saw one! God only knows how it happened, but the woman had blue hair and tiny wings! She was quite the rarity, and so he convinced her to marry him! Horatio Malfoy married Inga Svanson. Not physically unique, but she was the first woman ever to play national quidditch. That was back when Malfoys weren't sexist, of course."  
  
Pamela, who hadn't mastered the arching of one eyebrow yet, raised both. "And how is she so unique?" she asked.  
  
Dr. Carfunkell paused. He had taken his wand from a loop on the belt and had begun to trace it across Selina's abdomen. So far he had not asked a thing about Selina's symptoms, and, what with his talkative manner and sociable ways, the young redhead wondered if he even was Dr. Carfunkell.  
  
"Why, can't you see it?" he asked. "I thought that it was plain as day." His gray-green eyes were boring into Selina's belly, and she had the distinct feeling that he saw her as a totally different person than she really was. "My grandmother, she used to tell me about the Lovely Ones. Gods among us all, and she is." Selina had pulled her hospital gown closed and stared at Dr. Carfunkell with unabashed resentment. Recovering himself Dr. Carfunkell shook his head. "Naught but old wives' tales. Forgive me, Mrs. Malfoy. I shall proceed with your checkup now, if that's all right." He seemed quite apologetic, and Selina allowed him to resume his procedure. "Now, you said here that you've been feeling nauseas, and your friend, Ms. Duraford, says that you've thrown up no fewer than eight times in the past three days."  
  
"That's correct." Selina smiled weakly. "But it's just stress! You see, I've been planning this ball for the past few months, and it's been postponed three times. It's on New Years Eve, and I have so many deadlines to meet. And my crups are tearing up the home, so I've had to make all these repairs." Selina trailed off when Riley put a comforting hand on her arm. The stress was showing on her face, and Dr. Carfunkell nodded.  
  
"Well, Mrs. Malfoy, I have a theory as to what you might have, but I'll have to run a test first. It's a quick procedure, done with a small machine, but it sends a little jolt throughout the patients. Do I have your consent to continue?" Selina was surprised by the man's sudden stiffness, but she nodded wordlessly.  
  
"She's not going to die, is she?" Riley asked. "Her husband's a damn idiot, and God knows what that man's been feeding her-? Pamela clamped her hand over her friend's mouth and made a 'not-here' face. Riley quieted down, but the same angry look remained on her face.  
  
"She won't die, Ms. Bryce," Dr. Carfunkell assured her, and then he dimmed the lights and began to explain what he was going to do. "Using a rather simple little gadget," he said while placing a camera-like machine on Selina's bare stomach, "I'm going to take a very accurate picture of her insides."  
  
"Like an x-ray?" Riley asked suspiciously.  
  
"The picture that will be taken is much more accurate than the most advanced of x-rays or muggle contraptions," Dr. Carfunkell said testily, eying the camera-machine with great pride. "I developed it myself."  
  
"Good for you," Riley muttered, frowning moodily at the wooden floor.  
  
"Let's just get it over with," Selina sighed tiredly, and everyone quieted as Dr. Carfunkell pressed a button on the camera-machine. There was a bright flash of magenta light, Selina let out a squeal, and a glossy picture slid out from a slot on the camera-machine. Selina clutched her stomach, but she insisted that she was fine. "I just want to know what's the matter with me," she told a concerned Pamela.  
  
"Nothing's the matter with you, Mrs. Malfoy." Dr. Carfunkell was studying the picture with an intense interest. "Quite the contrary, in fact."  
  
Selina held her hand out for the picture. "May I see it?" she asked.  
  
Dr. Carfunkell nodded quickly and handed her the picture. "Of course, of course. It's pretty self-explanatory. You understand, now, what's been causing your illness?"  
  
Selina didn't answer though. She stared in silent shock at the picture, and, out of an unknown and developing instinct, her hand when strait to her belly. She didn't talk for a long time. Her green eyes seemed to be memorizing every inch of the picture, and her friends could tell if she was pleased or not with the results. After the suspense grew to be too great, however, Pamela broke the silence.  
  
"Well?" she asked uncertainly, as if unsure whether to pursue. "What's the matter?"  
  
Selina looked up quite suddenly, and she blinked dazedly at those around her. "Dear sweet goodness!" Her breath was short and her voice was stunned. "I'm going to have a baby!"  
  
***  
  
There had been many times over past month in which Lucius greatly regretted allowing 'Artemis' and 'Apollo' to stay. Nothing at all like the immortal namesakes, the crups were whirling dervishes. Lucius had checked up on their backgrounds to find that they were three-fourths crup, and one-fourth Great Dane. He had been told that the cross-breeding of crups and normal dogs was illegal, but that many rich folk paid millions of galleons for such matches. Lucius couldn't fathom why. Crups were bad enough when they were small, but because of their "large" parentage Selina's were two times their normal size, and their large paw prints could be found all over the pristine floors of Malfoy Manor.  
  
Lucius often came home from a long day at work-he had made his own fortune through wise investments, high-interest loans, and by holding various high positions at the Ministry of Magic-only to find that Artemis had peed all over his hand carved ebony desk and that Apollo had chewed his best Italian leather shoes beyond recognition. He always lost the urge to scream himself senseless, however, when he found his young wife bent over her puppies' latest mess, doing the best she could to repair the damage.  
  
She'd see him watching her intently, and she'd smile apologetically. "They got a little rowdy today," she'd explain, and then she'd resume her scrubbing or mending or whatever. Little did she know the impact that her love toward her crups had on Lucius. The little scamps destroyed more of her property than anyone else's, and yet she never raised her voice to them. A firm reprimand was all they ever received. Such love Lucius had never before seen, and it rather enchanted him that two bundles of fur could invoke something within the woman that even he could not. Much to his embarrassment he had begun to envy the crup pups whenever Selina cooed over their wellbeing.  
  
Ms. Laverne was far less understanding of them, of course. Often she raved to Lucius and anyone who would listen that the "demonic little brats" had destroyed some priceless vase or another. Ms. Laverne always insisted that she was a cat person, and both puppies had learned early on to avoid the heavyset woman.  
  
However, neither of the crups were on Lucius's mind that evening. He had been gone two days on a business trip to Bridgington, and upon his arrival home Ms. Laverne had informed him of three things. Firstly, Artemis had eaten all the sample hors 'devours that the caterer had brought to the manor earlier that morning. Secondly, Apollo had urinated upon Mrs. Rich- New-Neighbor when the woman had introduced herself the afternoon before, and not only was the woman offended, but because she had tried to kick the crup puppy Selina saw it fit to send the woman a Howler. Lastly and most importantly in Lucius's opinion was that Selina had been sick.  
  
"Ah, yes.Bouts of queasiness, a good deal of throwing up, and dear me but did she ever look pale at breakfast! I'm sure it's nothing too awful, Mr. Malfoy, but Ms. Duraford and Ms. Bryce both worked themselves into a right state and insisted that she see a doctor!"  
  
"Young Reginald Carfunkell, I hope?"  
  
"I wouldn't allow them to see anyone but him," Ms. Laverne had said, and then she had swept out of the room to attend to more ball plans.  
  
As much as she had assured him that the only cause was a bit of stress Lucius couldn't help but wait up late for his wife. Her appointment, Ms. Laverne had informed him, had been at seven, and it was now ten. Whatever it was, he kept telling himself, it had to be serious. Just as he was preparing to go and seek her out himself the door in the front hall opened. Lucius heard two female voices conversing in the domelike entrance room, but they were low, so he couldn't catch what they were saying.  
  
Without hesitation, the tall, elegant aristocrat made his way to the balcony that overlooked the front hall. He watched the scene below him without making a sound. Selina and her maid, whom she now treated like a sister, were talking quietly and secretively together, their heads close and their lips barely moving. Pamela was flushed whereas Selina was pale.  
  
'Too pale,' Lucius thought, but he couldn't bring himself to go down and ask what was the matter. To ask that would be admitting that he had worried away most of his evening, and who knew what Selina would think if her cold, acidic husband developed feelings?  
  
His attention was drawn back to Selina and Pamela then. Artemis and Apollo had just joined the group, barking joyfully at the return of their mistress, but Selina ignored them as they pawed her cloak and chewed at her shoes. Lucius knew something was wrong then. Selina would never ignore her "babies" unless something was truly not right. Now was the time to act.  
  
"Ms. Laverne mentioned that you went to see Reginald Carfunkell." Lucius's voiced was clipped yet concerned. It made for a strange blend that managed to startle both women and quell the overexcited pups.  
  
"Lucius!" Selina's hands went to her stomach, and Pamela's blue eyes widened noticeably. Both women exchanged 'meaningful' looks, and Pamela backed away uncertainly. She was obviously unsure as to what she should do.  
  
"Do you want me to leave, Selina?" The maid's voice was tender and worried. When Selina nodded yes Pamela added, "I'll be in my rooms if you want to talk."  
  
"I probably will," Selina said softly, and Pamela left with as much speed and grace as she could. When her footsteps had faded away Selina's hands dropped from her belly. "Did you wait up for me?" she asked.  
  
"No," Lucius lied. "I had some papers that the Minister wanted me to go over. I had a late night planned anyway, and when I heard you come home I decided that I might as well hear what was ailing you." He paused. "I would have found out anyway, wouldn't I have?"  
  
Selina chuckled to herself, as if Lucius had just made a very witty joke. "It would be hard to keep this from you, Lucius." She looked down at her stomach and bit her lip nervously. "Beating around the bush won't make this any easier to say," she muttered to herself. "Though I do think we should sit down." Her complexion was pale enough that Lucius agreed with her.  
  
"Come with me. The parlor's nearby." He tried to move her in the direction of the parlor, but Selina wouldn't budge.  
  
"What I have to tell you is big, Lucius. It's personal. My rooms would be better-"  
  
"-But mine are closer. If you truly consider your news to be so important then we can sit down there." Lucius took his wife's arm and led her up the stairs and down the hall. She was tense and shaky, which only served to make Lucius more on edge. He was much more worried than he let on, and he was relieved when they finally reached the large, grand doors, the grandest in the whole damn mansion, in fact, to his chambers. People rarely ever entered those doors, save Lucius of course, and even the house-elves were prohibited to clean them. Narcissa had stopped coming to have sex with him soon after Draco's birth, and Lucius had never had many others to invite in. Allowing Selina to enter was, whether she realized it or not, a large monument in their relationship.  
  
Selina was, to his relief, rather taken with his décor. The rooms, being his private ones, had been decorated in a variety of colors not usually associated with his dark personality. The walls were all painted a rich, cerulean blue, and the furniture was either plum purple or charcoal gray. During his travels he had collected a good number of silk tapestries, and he had to hold in a smirk as Selina ran her fingers over one in an awed manner. It was the redhead's turn to hold in a smile when she saw a baby grand piano in the corner of Lucius's sitting room.  
  
"I had no idea you played," she commented, losing an inner battle and allowing herself a large grin. "You'll have to give me a concert in the future."  
  
"Perhaps," Lucius said, and then he remembered why they had come there in the first place. He motioned for them to sit in to facing purple armchairs. "We had something to discuss? I believe it concerned your doctor's appointment today?"  
  
Selina sunk into the chair, and all at once, she was trembling and sad again. "There's a good reason for my nausea," she said softly. "I.I really don't know how to say this. It's a great shock to me, and I still don't know how I feel about it."  
  
"Is it something serious or bad?"  
  
Selina's eyes closed, and then they reopened rapidly. "Serious? Yes, I suppose it is. Bad? Well, only time will tell."  
  
Lucius snorted. "Enough with the cryptic messages all ready! What's the matter with you?"  
  
Selina took a deep breath and then said, with a hand on her stomach, "I'm pregnant."  
  
Lucius must have looked very strange then, for Selina backed away from him rapidly, her chair scraping on the oak floorboards. "You're.what?"  
  
Selina was beginning to tear up. "I said I was pregnant! With child! I'm expecting a visit from the stork." Lucius must have looked incredibly stupid right then for she screeched, in a tone he would remember for days to come, "I'M HAVING OUR BABY!"  
  
Her outburst was enough to jar Lucius from the mindless limbo he had fallen into, and he quickly began analyzing the situation. "It had to be that night in the Three Broomsticks," he muttered to himself before looking wife in the eyes. "Are you sure?"  
  
Selina nodded. "Dr. Carfunkell took a picture, and he said that the child's due next July."  
  
"I see." Lucius folded his hands. "This was unexpected." He looked down at his lap. "It's been a long time since Narcissa was pregnant with Draco."  
  
Selina was stoically quiet. Her head was bent, and her hand remained on her stomach. "Perhaps we should both sleep on it. I'll go back to my rooms-"  
  
"No," Lucius held up his hand and stood. "Sleep in my bed. I'll stay here in the chair. In the morning, I'll owl a live-in midwife, and she'll be able to guide you step by step through the pregnancy. That's what I did with Narcissa." He paused. "I suppose you'll want for me to send for Ms. Duraford."  
  
"No, please. I'd prefer to be alone, now that I've told you. Goodnight." Selina was even paler than before, and she rose with a weariness that was not healthy for such a young girl. She said no more as she retreated to his grand bedroom, and Lucius couldn't help but notice the way her shoulders slouched.  
  
'She's too young to be having a child,' Lucius thought silently as he sat back down in his chair. Only nineteen and she was all ready married and with child. It was no small wonder that she was looked so sickly.  
  
She hadn't yet turned twenty and her whole life was disappearing before her eyes. She was married to a man over twice her age, in a country that was not her own, made to follow new, foreign customs and traditions. The child would officially tie her to him, a thought that she was not likely to relish.  
  
As Lucius lay back in his chair, preparing for sleep, his mind wandered back to his marriage with Narcissa. How different things had been, from beginning to end.  
  
For starters, they had loved each other in the beginning. There had been no arrangements to be made between parents, or what was left of Lucius's parents by the time he met Narcissa. After seeing each other for only seven months, they married in a large, fancy, gorgeous ceremony.  
  
Everyone from Lucius's brother Lucifer to Narcissa's sister Bellatrix told them they were rushing into things. But no one could ever have told Lucius Malfoy what to do, much less the woman fit to be his wife. They began to try for a child with the first month of their marriage, and they succeeded within the third.  
  
Lucius was twenty-six and Narcissa was twenty-four when Draco Malfoy came into the world. Neither parent could be more pleased, and everything was well for the first year of Draco's life.  
  
But then the Dark Lord met his downfall, and with him went Narcissa's beloved sister Bellatrix. In her own twisted way Narcissa began to blame Lucius for her sister's lifelong imprisonment in Azkaban. Guilty by association, Lucius always thought, and he began to adjust to the cold, resentful glares Narcissa sent his way.  
  
Poor Draco never knew a world in which his parents loved each other. They always treated each other with borderline disdain in his presence, but he wasn't a stupid boy, despite what his father might believe. He heard the screams at night, the scathing accusations. He knew all about Arielle DeSanders and the others. He knew all about his mother's bouts of depression.  
  
And now Narcissa was dead. There was a new woman to fill her shoes, Lucius told himself. It seemed to him that all the world was watching, judging, whispering about Selina. He could only hope that the pressures would not harm her, no his.No, their child.  
  
Little did he know that Selina was not looking to fill anybody's shoes. She only wanted to make her own.  
  
~*~  
  
~A child.No one could have predicted this!~  
  
{I can take care of it. I can make it seem an accident.}  
  
~No, you don't do a thing. I don't like the way you do things. That girl has been winning more fights than she should be.~  
  
{I've been trying my hardest. You, of all people, should know that!}  
  
~Don't you dare raise your voice to me! I am your Master!~  
  
{Don't remind me. I was not made to serve.}  
  
~You do it so well, though.~  
  
{I have my own motives for wanting 'Miss Selina' dead.}  
  
~And they would be.?~  
  
{None of your business. Sins of her mother, you might say.and her sister, and her whole fucking family!}  
  
~Bitter, are we?~  
  
{I would not talk, M'Lord. Bitter is too little a word to describe that hate you feel towards that scrawny little four-eyed, scar-faced runt that you obsess over.}  
  
~We are overstepping our boundaries, now aren't we?~  
  
{I know no boundaries, M'Lord. Now, if you don't mind me, I have business to attend to.}  
  
~Don't go after the girl. Not yet. That is an order!~  
  
{Oh, but when it is the time, God have mercy on her, for I will not.Sweet dreams little Selina. I'm coming.}  
  
~*~  
  
Selina awoke to the sounds of cruel, chilling laughter. 


	9. Chapter 8

A/N: It's been forever since I updated this.But hey, three chapters in a row! A lot happens in these chapters, so be ready for a few surprises. As always, constructive reviews!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or, in this case, any of the Slytherin gang. They belong to JK Rowling, of course, and the wonderful people at the publishing company. Selina Julliard, Riley Bryce, and the plot on which this fiction is based on is of my creation however, so don't take them and post them as yours!  
  
~*~  
  
Lucius awoke early the next morning. His neck was stiff, his back was sore, and his hair stuck up sporadically in no less than five places. He sat in his chair for a few moments, eyes closed and a look of extreme discomfort on his face, and then there was a soft growl at his feet and he looked down to see the female crup, Artemis, gnawing at his Italian leather loafers. He would have sent the horrid puppy-resembling mite across the floor with one kick of his foot, but the door to his room opened, and Selina stepped out.  
  
She had more color in her cheeks than the night before, and she was dressed in a long green shirt that had a giant cobra on the front. The cobra's mouth was open, and its fangs looked truly dangerous. In a curvy, silver script by the cobra's head it said 'Bite me!' The shirt went down to Selina's knees, and she wore a look that bordered on amusement.  
  
"You ought to wear this shirt more often. I had no idea you had a sense of humor, Lucius." She had bathed--he could now see that--and her curls were limp with wetness. She had used his shampoos, and she smelled fresh and spicy and, so like himself. The thought aroused Lucius far too much to be healthy, and he crossed his legs quickly, so as not to let his wife see his growing "admiration". It was chilly and drafty in his chambers, as he liked it that way, and the material of the shirt had thinned over the years, so he could have the small comfort of knowing that he was not the only one with erect privates.  
  
"It was from my old school days," Lucius said, covering his embarrassment with a useless fact.  
  
"I see. I suppose time has destroyed any sense of humor you might have had." Selina was growing annoying cheeky, and such behavior so early in the morning was enough to give him a migraine. His stiffness went on, however, and it was only a matter of moments before Selina would notice.  
  
"Keep it, if you like," he said shortly, and his bite did the trick. Selina looked hurt, and her wiseacre attitude evaporated.  
  
"Send the midwife to my rooms when she arrives. Pamela and I have plans to go over, and the crups need their weekly bath." She turned on her heel and strode out of Lucius' chambers with her nose held high. Lucius instantly regretted her departure. His erection had become most uncomfortable during the past ten seconds, and though he knew that the possibility of bedding Selina was zilch, one could always dream.  
  
Finally, he roused himself and started towards his bathroom. After drawing an ice cold bath, Lucius sunk into the tub. Though the frigidly cold water cured the "problem," the same could not be said for his arousal. For the rest of them morning, the senior Malfoy's thoughts were plagued with spicily scented redheads and flashes of pale, freckled skin.  
  
~*~  
  
The midwife arrived at exactly twelve-o-clock in the afternoon. As fate would have it, Selina and Pamela were walking through the entrance hall at that moment, and so both women were present when Ms. Catherine Bendwargo stepped over the threshold of Malfoy Manor.  
  
Catherine, or Cat, as she would come to be called, was quite young, perhaps two years older than Selina. She wasn't a beautiful woman, so any suspicions Selina might have had about her 'husband' looking for a quick "shag" were erased. In fact, she found herself staring rather rudely at Cat's appearance.  
  
Cat had pale skin, colorless lips, and thin dark hair, which covered both her head and her upper lip, creating a thin moustache. Her eyebrows were made of a much finer hair, and they were actually quite nonexistent. Her eyes were owlish and gray, though it was a much darker gray than that of Lucius or Draco. Her body was thick and burly. Her arms were as thick as Selina's calves, and where Ms. Laverne's weight could be considered fatness, Cat's weight would be considered manly. The young midwife made up for her colorless face with vibrantly shaded clothes. Her cloak was a bright plum purple, her lacy dress was a bright red, and she stuck out like a sore thumb in all the gloom and darkness of Malfoy Manor. After the proper introductions had been given, Cat told Selina that she had been owled a report of her "current condition."  
  
"You're barely one month along, Miss Selina," Cat said, and Selina made no move to correct her address. "Now, normally a muggle woman can't tell she's pregnant until three months into her term. Witches, however, have a great deal of magic tied into their hormones. The reactions to a pregnancy, such as morning sickness and nausea, begin much sooner because the magic in your genes can detect that there's something happening within your body." Cat smiled softly and sat down in the large, dark parlor Selina had led her into. "The sickness also stops at three months, when it begins for muggle women. That's the good thing about being magic."  
  
She paused, took a chance to look around the room, and then continued speaking. "During the next month of your pregnancy, from the third month to the fourth, your body begins to infuse magic into your growing baby, including every magical ability your baby will ever have, such as it's magical strengths, or whether it'll be a Metamorphmagus, etcetera, etcetera.  
  
"When your child is four and a half months along, I'll be able to take a test to determine whether there were any problems with the magical development. I'll be able to tell then if it's a squib or not." Cat paused hesitantly. "Miss Selina, I haven't been a midwife that long. I've delivered only three babies, but that's not too shabby, because I work with women through their entire pregnancy. However, I work mostly with pureblood women, and I've been told by the woman who assigns me my jobs that most pureblood women are...discriminatory."  
  
"Discriminatory?" Selina pretended to be mildly confused.  
  
"Discriminatory," Cat repeated. She sounded cautious, and she had paused enough when choosing her word that it was obvious she didn't wish to offend anybody. "As in you wouldn't want to have a squib."  
  
Selina had suspected what Cat meant, but Pamela had been not, for her hands flew to her mouth. "Selina would never abort a child because of something so trivial!" the young maid snapped. "Never!"  
  
Cat was alarmed at Pamela's outburst. She seemed instantly frightened, and Selina could only wonder what the poor young thing had heard about the high- class purebloods. She instantly soothed the woman's nerves by holding up her hand. "Pamela's right. I'd never do such a thing. And please, don't be so nervous. I won't bite."  
  
Cat bobbed her head up and down on her broad shoulders. "Yes, Miss Selina. I'll try." It was obvious she still wanted to escape Selina's presence. She made a quick excuse--"I'd like to go and get settled in, Miss Selina, if that's all right by you."--and Selina made no effort to stop her. Once the large midwife had left, Pamela spoke.  
  
"I don't like her." Pamela didn't look Selina in the eye when she said that. She held her head up stiffly, and her eyes were fixed on the spot where Cat had been sitting moments ago. "I don't like her at all."  
  
"She's nice enough." Selina was staring not at the spot where Cat had been sitting but at the doorway Cat had disappeared through. "She's just a little nervous. I'm sure she didn't mean anything by that comment."  
  
Pamela looked at Selina for a long moment. She was thinking something important, Selina knew, but she also knew that she had just done something to prevent Pamela from saying what exactly the important thing was. Finally Pamela broke into a sunny smile.  
  
"Of course," she said softly, and Selina was relieved that whatever small resentments or had been laid to rest early on. "I suppose I'm just a bit jealous. Now I have to share you with another person."  
  
Ah, so that was it!  
  
"Jealous? You have no need to be!" Selina was doubly relieved to know what exactly had been plaguing her friend. "Now how about we go and hitch a ride to town? I have to make some arrangements with the caterer, and then I have to go and try on my dress. You need to get some last measurements as well, don't you?"  
  
"Hmm? Oh, yes, of course!" Pamela stood and began walking towards the door. "Let's get going."  
  
The two friends made their way towards the kitchen. They went via the servants' passage, and along the way they ran into the little crups. Selina made to ignore them at first, but her resolve to leave her "babies" behind was lost when little Apollo gave her his patented puppy eyes.  
  
"Oh, come along you little rascals," Selina muttered. She scooped them both up, and Artemis barked happily and snuggled against her mother's bosom. Apollo wagged his rump and tail. He was the quieter, if not the more destructive, of the two, and often his feelings were shown through rump wags and body jiggles. He was also the clown of the sibling duo. Artemis was much more the risk taker, the ring-leader, and daredevil.  
  
"They're getting bigger," Pamela commented once the two witches and two pups had settled into the carriage Lucius had had specially crup-proofed. Artemis began to gnaw on the upholstery, but unlike the fine leather found throughout the manor the material did not rip or tear. Eventually, halfway through the journey, Artemis tired of the endless chewing that was getting her nowhere. Seeing as how Apollo was asleep on her mother's lap already Artemis curled up on Pamela.  
  
The only noise for the rest of the ride was the dream induced whimper of the little crups. Selina was absorbed in her thoughts of the baby, and she didn't note Pamela's silence as strange until much, much later that evening!  
  
~*~  
  
Selina had never known Christmas Eve to be so terribly lonely.  
  
She sat at the vanity in her bedroom, dressed in a dress robe made of black lace over a thin layer of black silk. It was the most expensive item of clothing Selina had ever owned, and Lucius had ordered it custom made from a designer in France. He said it was a token of his "admiration at your ability to cope with your new role," but Selina knew her 'husband' well enough to know that what he really meant was, "you're young, you're lithe, and I want my whole family to see what nice tits you have".  
  
Or something like that.  
  
If Pamela and Riley were around then she might have laughed about it with them. They would have called Lucius a prick, a jerk, every name in the book...But thinking about things such as that served as a harsh reminder to Selina that Pamela and Riley were not with her.  
  
Pamela had been given the winter holidays off by Lucius. Selina would have been touched by the sentimentality and thought put into that "early Christmas gift", but she also knew Lucius well enough to know that dismissing Pamela would weaken her own power within the household. Now only Ms. Laverne was around to wait on Selina, and unlike Pamela, Ms. Laverne would tell Lucius anything and everything that she did in her presence. It would keep her in line, if only until his family, all of whom were visiting for the holidays, left.  
  
Riley's departure was of a much more explainable manner. One of Riley's sisters, Penny, was in France. It had been ages since the two sisters had seen each other, and so Riley had made quick plans to spend the rest of the remaining year in Paris with Penny. Of all Riley's sisters, Penny had always been Selina's favorite, and of course she too had been invited along, but Lucius put his foot down almost immediately.  
  
"No wife of mine is going to be flouncing about with those arrogant muggleborns!" he had snapped. Though he had used the word 'muggleborn', Selina had heard so much malice in those three syllables that she knew what he truly meant.  
  
His prejudice of muggleborns was becoming more pronounced as the days wore on. She noticed it also in Draco's behavior and speech about "that mudblood Granger" and other muggleborn students around Hogwarts. He didn't yet know that Riley's mother was muggleborn, though, and Selina had resolved to let him find out on his own.  
  
And so now only Cat was left, as the midwife had no living relatives to speak of, but Cat only spent time with Selina during their twenty-minute daily check-ups. The remaining hours of her day were spent reading quietly in the library, and so Selina doubted that her midwife would make a very good Christmas companion.  
  
The clock, without warning, chimed that it was five-o-clock in the evening. The deep dong, dong, dongs were so sudden in their coming that Selina fell backwards and onto the hard floor. She lay there for a moment, tears prickling her eyes, unable to find the will to stand again. She knew she'd have to get up eventually, that soon she'd have to go down and greet her 'husband's' family, but for then she'd be content to lay their in a miserable heap.  
  
It was her first Christmas without her family. That was what hurt most, Selina supposed. Knowing that this was the first of many Christmases that would be spent without any warm, loving faces or presents from the heart. For the rest of her life, the most happy night of the year would be her most unhappy.  
  
Selina's mood worsened when she thought that this might be her baby's fate as well, should it be born a girl. What if something were to happen to her, leaving her daughter young and vulnerable with a father like Lucius? To have her married off, as Lucius would no doubt do, to a man twice her age?  
  
This time, Selina allowed herself to cry. Her sobs were silent, but they took a hold of her body and made it shake convulsively. She clutched her stomach, protecting her womb, with all her might. Before then the baby had been just that: a baby. A nameless, faceless baby that she might come to love, but then again, considering the father, she might not. Oh, she'd have protected the child, as any mother would have, but only because protection was a deeply maternal instinct.  
  
Now the baby had a face: her face, Lucius's face, the faces of her dead families, and the eyes that haunted her dreams. Suddenly the emotions were coming so freely, so strongly, and Selina couldn't ignore them as she had been doing in all the preparations for the holidays and the New Years Eve Ball (or the NYE, as Ms. Laverne had come to call it). She hated herself for bringing her own flesh and blood into such a cold, cruel, dictated, loveless world. She hated her parents for dying on her like that and leaving her in this position, but hating them only made Selina hate herself even more because she knew it hadn't been their fault. She hated Lucius too, for being so horrible and so unfeeling. For a few seconds that sad Christmas Eve, Selina even hated God, or whatever sort of god she believed in.  
  
And in a second her rage ceased, only to be replaced by fear. She had never hated anything so much before in her life. Truthfully the only person who'd ever seemed to hate so much was Lucius, and now she was no better than him, despising those for the mistakes that she had made. Her tears continued, now worse than ever, but the sound effects came on, and suddenly there were great bitter noises coming from the back of her throat. There were animalistic and primordial, but such was her mind that she did not care. Selina knew that she'd ruin her dress if she kept sobbing like she was, but she did not care one bit.  
  
What finally distracted her from her wallowing was a little nip at her ankle. It wasn't painful, but it was enough to grab her attention. Selina was able to muffle her sobs enough to look down and see a small furry face peeking up at her. The tip of its drooping tail was white, and so Selina knew it to be Apollo. The male crup looked forlorn and beaten, as if he could actually feel her pain. A few feet from where she sat Selina saw Artemis, who watched her with wide puppy eyes.  
  
Neither crup seemed afraid of her disheveled, miserable state, but they didn't seem to like it either. Apollo's love for her overcame his discomfort, but Artemis, who was a bit more logic-driven than her brother, was keeping her distance. Selina was both surprised and a little bit hurt.  
  
"Artemis! Come on, girl! Come to Mommy!" Selina held her hand out and tried to whistle. It came out as a rather broken squeak, though, which only served to agitate Artemis more. "Damn," Selina said, cursing uncharacteristically. "I never have been able to do that." She chuckled at her inability to whistle. It was a long time challenge of hers, and when Sydney had still lived at home, she had teased Selina about it in a sisterly manner. The memory brought a fond smile to Selina's face, and she was surprised to find that it calmed her instead of making her sad.  
  
"Well, what do you know," she murmured, finally mustering the strength to stand. "You, little mister, are a miracle worker." She tickled Apollo's soft belly, and the crup pup yipped happily. At last convinced of her mother's full recovery, Artemis barked too. She put her paws on Selina's shins and looked up at the redhead with pleading eyes. "Alright, alright, hold on!" Selina giggled softly and bent down to scoop up Artemis. Seeing as how both crup puppies were considerably bigger than when she had first found them the task was difficult, and it was in the middle of struggling to grab Artemis that Selina was interrupted.  
  
"I should have known!" A shrill, harsh, angry voice shocked Selina just as much as the clock's chiming had. In her startled state Selina not only dropped a wriggling Artemis, but also dropped Apollo on top of her. The two young crups yipped and yapped and scampered behind their mommy to hide from a deeply scowling Ms. Laverne. Selina's mood plummeted as she realized the trouble she must now be in.  
  
"Oh, dear, it's five-thirty...And I should have been downstairs-"  
  
"A full twenty minutes ago. Mr. Malfoy is quite angry that you didn't show up to greet his family. He had to stop working early and go down to greet them himself!" Ms. Laverne gave a grunt of annoyance. "And just look at your dress! Covered in dust and crup hair! My god, Miss Selina! What have you been doing up here?" Before Selina could answer Ms. Laverne took a good, long stare at her face. "Crying?" she asked snidely. "You've been crying?"  
  
Selina suddenly felt like the stupidest woman in the world. She knew how much Ms. Laverne had expected her to botch things up, and now here she was doing exactly that. "Well, it's my first Christmas away from my family," she admitted softly.  
  
Ms. Laverne frowned heavily, and Selina knew she'd find no sympathy from her maid. "I've not spent a single holiday without my family for the past seventeen years, and you don't see me caterwauling about it. My first Christmas alone was the toughest one I've ever had, but I didn't have a collapse!"  
  
Selina's cheeks burned red. She was all cried out, and so much to her relief, no tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. She was sure that Ms. Laverne would have gone on, but a low, dangerous growl began from behind her. Selina looked down to see her crups, and then she stepped back. Her crups, usually so sweet and cuddly, had transformed into snarling little animals, their lips pulled back to reveal sharp, shiny teeth.  
  
"Dear Merlin!" Ms. Laverne stepped back as well. "Miss Selina, you get those foul little blights under control! Miss Maxine will go positively mad if one of them nips at her children!"  
  
Selina, after getting over the initial shock of the crups' transformation, found it rather amusing. Artemis and Apollo were much more loyal to her than she would have guessed. She knew that, from then on, Ms. Laverne would think twice about insulting her, at least in the crups' presence. She would definitely have to owl Pamela and Riley with the news. It would no doubt have them rolling in the aisles to hear that the mighty Ms. Laverne could be cowed by two young pups.  
  
"I'll do my best," she promised, kneeling down to rub Artemis's head. The female crup jumped about happily, and her joy, which was so infectious, reminded Selina that she did have friends, even if they weren't of the human sort. After dusting her dress off and kissing each crup twice on the head Selina straightened regally and drew in her stomach. It was time to do her 'duty'.  
  
It was time to face the Malfoys.  
~*~ "Lucius, darling, when is that little redhead of a wife of yours going to join us?"  
  
It was Maxine, his cousin, and, as always, she was acting snootier than even Malfoys had a right to. Lucius would have liked to forget about Maxine and her husband, Ivo, and their two brats, Oriele and Morse, but it would cause conflict, and as much as he hated to admit it, Ivo Hahn was a superb connection to his business in Germany.  
  
"I agree, Lucius." Now it was another cousin, Maxine's elder sister, Carew. Carew was an old maid, which made her all the more bitter and snippier than Maxine, and Lucius did forget about her most of the time. "It isn't proper for a wife not to obey her husband's orders. Why didn't she greet us? Is there some sort of trouble going on between the two of you?" Carew was also a shameless gossip.  
  
"Now, you two both leave him alone." Finally, a friendly face! Lucius thought. It was yet another cousin, though not Carew or Maxine's sister. It was Dionyza. She was the youngest child of his favorite aunt and uncle, Pandora and Octavian, and she was a breath of fresh air compared to the rest of his boring, snippety family.  
  
"Well, Dion, I just wanted to meet her!" Carew sniffed haughtily. "After all, when she ran off at the wedding...Well, things like that just speak for themselves!"  
  
"Do they now?" It was Lucifer, and he was defending his elder brother, as he always did. "Selina's quite a nice girl. She's pregnant, too, and her nausea sometimes gets the best of her. She'll be down soon enough."  
  
Most of the family already knew of Selina's pregnancy, bit everyone tittered and congratulated Lucius as if it was new news. Draco sat sullenly in the corner while they did this, and Lucius almost felt guilty for waiting until his firstborn arrived home from school to tell him of his new sibling. It had been a stonily cold conversation, and though Draco threw no fit, Lucius could tell he didn't like the new arrangement. He didn't treat Selina any worse though, and Lucius had decided to leave Draco be to solve his resentment in his own brooding way.  
  
"Have you discussed any names yet?" It was Aunt Pandora, and Lucius gave her a 'Malfoy smile'.  
  
"A few," he said. "I've mentioned a few family names, as has she, and we're trying to narrow it down to a few." That was pure bullshit--Selina and he had barely discussed the baby in the past few weeks, much less discussed a name--but after the mention of Selina's absence at their wedding, he had to make it seem as if they were something of a functioning marriage.  
  
"You shouldn't give into her, Lucius," Maxine said as she bounced a pouting Oriele on her lap. "Your child shouldn't be named after anyone but a Malfoy." She pursed her lips. "Perhaps, if it's a girl, you could name her Maxine Carew. It would be a nice gesture." Her lips became an overly sugary smile.  
  
"Perhaps." Lucius, of all the Malfoys, had mastered the art of being emotionless, and he used that to his advantage then. It would be a bad business move to openly reject the suggestion. Ivo Hahn was notorious for being controlled by his overpowering wife. Should he offend her, he might as well forget about expanding his business ideas into Germany.  
  
After that all things that had needed to be said had been said. The Malfoys were never one to waste words, and they rarely ever grew uncomfortable in long silences, so the room became eerily quiet. It was so quiet, in fact, that when Selina approached the door she thought that she had lost her way. Upon peeking in she found her husband, stepson, and found twelve assorted people all sitting stoically. Even the three children, none of whom could have been over eight, sat silently by their parents, hands in lap and eyes somber with boredom. It was one of these children, a pretty toddler with elaborate twisted blonde pigtails and forget-me-not blue eyes, who was the first to notice her. The little girl forgot the oath of silence and squealed.  
  
"Pretty! Pretty! Pretty red!" She clenched an unclenched her chubby fists and pointed to Selina. Of course, everyone turned to see who had disturbed their peace, and when they saw who it was they all rose, and all but Lucius bowed deeply to her. The little girl was still gurgling, and the woman next to her, presumably her mother, blushed deeply.  
  
"Forgive me, Selina. Juno often forgets how rude it is to point." The mother scooped up tiny Juno. "It's your hair she likes. She's never seen a person with red hair before."  
  
Selina smiled. The woman was very kind, and she had no doubt that this lady had also married into the Malfoy clan. "It's quite all right. I take it as a compliment."  
  
The lady smiled in a relieved manner. She quieted down though, and though her daughter did as well, both looked sorely regretful to do so. Selina had her suspicions that this had greatly to do with the tall cruel looking man behind them, a man whom she had never seen before. His eyes were coal black, as was his hair and goatee. He looked nothing like Lucius, and yet she was sure they were related.  
  
"Selina, I'd like you to meet my cousin, Tiberon. This is Tiberon's wife, Elena, and of course you've met their daughter, Juno."  
  
Many introductions followed the first, and in the end Selina only remembered the names of Dionyza, the cousin who had given her diamonds, and Tiberon's family. When they moved into the dining hall for dinner she made sure to sit between Elena and Dionyza. It was traditional, she was told, that on Christmas Eve women ate with women, men ate with men, and children went to bed early. To prove this fact there were two separate tables.  
  
As soon as everyone had been seated food appeared before them, and the low murmurs of stiff conversation began. The men discussed politics, while the women began to discuss what women of society were expected to discuss, which was equivalent to nothing of importance. After fifteen minutes Selina had heard enough about German tapestries from Lucius's snotty cousin--her name began with an M, something like Madine--to last her a lifetime. Just when she was sure that she would die of boredom, an unexpected escape was offered in an unexpected form.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy?" Ms. Laverne's normally steady voice was broken and demure. She had appeared in the large doorway to the dining hall, and instead of striding over to Lucius as Selina had expected her to, she stayed where she was, even going so far as to back into the hallway. She didn't meet his eyes either, and opting to stare a hole in the floor. "Mr. Malfoy, I'm so sorry to interrupt, but little Miss Juno is awake, and she having a terribly hard time falling back to sleep. She want...I think...Miss Selina."  
  
Lucius frowned. "She wants Selina? Whatever made you think that?"  
  
"Oi, isn't that Narcissa's old dumb maid?" It was the old maid cousin, bitter and cruel as ever.  
  
"Yes." It was Lucifer. He was jeering cruelly. "Lucius, has your maid gone and finished school and become a psychiatrist behind our backs?"  
  
"She doesn't know the meaning of the word," whispered the old maid. All throughout his family's taunting of Ms. Laverne, Lucius sat quietly. He let them tease her. He didn't seem to care at all.  
  
Now, Selina had always been pleased with the way her 'husband' treated Ms. Laverne. It wasn't quite with respect, but he didn't ever insult her or treat her like a stupid cow, like most rich purebloods did of their own staff. He treated Pamela more or less the same way, without the perks of elegant meals and the like, but now, as he stared haughtily at Ms. Laverne, he became every ounce as horrid as the rest of the pureblood bastards that frequented their manor so often. Selina hated him at that moment for putting on such a show for his family, mocking her for no other reason than to provide them a bit of dinner entertainment. She hated his family as well, even seemingly kind Elena, for chortling at Ms. Laverne's embarrassment, as much as she might dislike the woman. Only Draco didn't laugh at the elderly woman's humiliation, and Selina wondered for what reason that might be.  
  
"Well, sir, she keeps asking for a...'Pretty Red,' and I assumed that that was Miss Selina. I've known nothing else to be red in this entire household."  
  
Though Lucius knew that to be correct he sniggered--a grown man actually sniggered!--and shook his head. "No, I'm sure you're wrong. And at any rate I will not have her leaving that table."  
  
In a moment Selina decided to turn the tables on her dear 'husband'. Perhaps it was because she knew the same humiliation from her encounters with Arielle DeSanders, but she felt suddenly allied to Ms. Laverne. "You won't have me leave this table?" Her voice was clear and crisp, and the very second she spoke the entire hall quieted. Most looked utterly and completely floored, and, to Selina's divine satisfaction, Lucius looked as though he had been slapped. It was too late to back down then, so, in one poised movement that Ms. Laverne herself had taught her, she pushed her chair back from the table and stood. "Because I will be leaving. And as much as you'd like to believe it, you do not own me! And you never will, you arrogant, womanizing, moronic little bastard!"  
  
It may not have been Shakespeare, but Selina would eat her own wand if she wasn't the first person to ever call him those things to his face. Her mother would have died all over again if she had ever heard her daughter use the word 'bastard, and frankly Selina was surprised, if not a little ashamed, at cursing so uncharacteristically. In a way it made her feel like she had sunk to their level, but, as she passed through the giant doorway, she had no time to reflect on such things.  
  
Once she was in the hallway Ms. Laverne was upon her. "You silly Southern screw up! What's in hell's name do you think you were doing?" Selina almost stopped walking in shock. Shouldn't Ms. Laverne be thankful? But no, she was far from that! "Did you think that I'd be glad that you'd stuck up for me? Do I give you the impression of one who needs to be saved?"  
  
"But they were...Lucius was-"  
  
Ms. Laverne let out an angry growl. "My god, you stupid, stupid girl! Have I taught you nothing? It was an act!"  
  
Selina felt no smarter than her 'husband' at that point, and this time there were no crups to save her from the jaws of Ms. Laverne. "An act?"  
  
Ms. Laverne nodded roughly. "Yes, Miss Selina, an act! The way he treated me was an act. Everything in this world is an act. Things here are much different here than they were in Alabama. Everyone whom you associated with do things with their own greedy motives in mind. It isn't like the poor folk who get by on the good deeds and generosity of others! Our kind, the rich, pure kind, get by on the bad deeds of themselves. Survival of the fittest, Miss Selina! Alpha, beta, and omega! Take my advice and conform, or die trying! Do you think you've accomplished anything by cursing like a harlot?"  
  
But this time Selina did stop. And it wasn't because of Ms. Laverne's 'reality check' speech. No, it was coming from down the hall! And it was laughter. Mind you, not the good natured laughter that friends often used, but a cruel, nasally sort. She waited until the laughter--well, she couldn't honestly call it laughter--died down before saying her rebuttal.  
  
"You thank I did that just for you?" she asked. "You think that I didn't do that for myself as well? Because I did. It may just be an act for you, Ms. Laverne, and you may be so frigid that it doesn't matter anymore when people jeer at you when they have no right to do so, but I have too much respect for myself to take that sitting. I'll never change to be like them all either, so don't you ever tell me otherwise."  
  
Ms. Laverne snorted. "Oh, I'll tell you otherwise, Miss Selina, and for your own good. You care too much about those crups of yours. You care too much about the silly things, like whether that bird you saw fall out of its nest earlier is going to survive. You care too much about people who don't give a damn about you. You care too much about your stepson, for that matter! Do you think that because you're going to make him love you because you meddle in his life? Merlin, who is going to like you for that?"  
  
"I will."  
  
For the second time that evening, after saying a few short words, Selina turned on her heel and walked proudly down the hall. She'd get hell from both the people she'd insulted that night, but she wasn't about to let her fear spoil the moment. Her pride in standing up to the two who had bullied her for the past few months was immense, and, borrowing a term that Riley often used, "The feeling was better than sex."  
  
~*~  
  
Selina found Juno's nursery fairly quickly. She had been the one to prepare the rooms for living conditions, so she had hand picked the suite that would serve as a nursery for the three children coming to stay at Malfoy Manor. As she might have expected, the blond little girl was sitting in the front room. Maxine Malfoy-Hahn's children were huddled in a corner, dressed in ridiculous reindeer pajamas. They both glared at Juno contemptuously, and when the little girl in the pair saw Selina she gave a disgruntled huff.  
  
"Make her quiet down! I cannot sleep, and my Mummy will be most displeased if I look anything below my best tomorrow!" She may have had the surname Hahn, but her tone was all Malfoy.  
  
Selina ignored her for the most part and walked directly to Juno. She knelt down softly and smiled. Juno seemed unused to affection, probably because of her father's harsh mannerism, and at first she was suspicious of Selina. However, once Selina offered forth a lock of her hair, Juno brightened.  
  
"Pretty red," she said, clasping the lock in a chubby fist and allowed Selina to lift her up. "Pretty red. I like pretty red."  
  
Selina smiled. "Do you now?"  
  
Juno gave a small tug on the long red curl, and her head bobbed up and down. "Oh, yes. I've never seen a pretty red before. Pretty red is like rubies."  
  
They were in Juno's bedroom now, and Selina set the little girl down on a bed that was far too vast for a toddler of her size. "Would you like to have pretty red forever?"  
  
Juno's big blue eyes widened. "You come to live with us?" she asked. Her voice was sadly hopeful, and Selina resolved to find a way in which to permit Elena to be allowed to show her daughter the love she was so obviously missing.  
  
"No, Juno, that's not what I meant." Juno's face fell so fast that it broke Selina's heart. She swore her child, whether she was happy to have it or not, would never want for love like little Juno. "But tomorrow, at bedtime, I'll give you some pretty red forever."  
  
"How?" Juno was a smart child, it seemed, and her curiosity was only natural.  
  
"Oh, you'll see." Selina herself was unsure of how to complete the idea that had sprung fresh in her mind, but she'd stay up all night if she needed to. "Goodnight, Juno."  
  
Juno smiled. She apparently liked the promise of pretty red, and that was enough to get her to sleep. She whispered a babyish, "Goodnight" before she was off into the land of nod...  
  
~*~  
  
Her good mood was a short lived one. She had not forgotten the dangers within insulting her 'husband' so publicly, and so it came of no surprise to her that, upon returning to her suite, the door was open a jar. She took a deep breath, and she prepared to face a barrage of insults upon stepping inside. Sure enough, standing tall and proud in her entrance room, was Lucius Malfoy.  
  
And heaven almighty, his face could have scared the devil.  
  
It was worse than their wedding night. It was worse than all of the petty arguments they'd had over their few months as a married couple. Selina was suddenly scared, even more so than she had been of herself earlier that evening. She could think of nothing to say, so she decided to say the obvious. "You're here because of dinner."  
  
Lucius snarled in response, and his anger intensified. "Dinner," he said, and Selina was suddenly very aware that the only other person to live on her floor was standing before her, looking madder than hell.  
  
"I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not." Her brash cheekiness surprised her, and it surprised him even more, and she decided that the surprises of that Christmas Eve would never end.  
  
"How can you not be sorry for the way you treated me this evening?" Lucius's anger had been tamed by his shock, and he sounded a little less sure of himself...But only a little.  
  
"How can you not be sorry for putting on a show for your family at the cost of someone else's humiliation?" Selina gave him the dirtiest look she could muster. Lucius didn't cave in and look ashamed though. Far from it, in fact.  
  
"Ms. Laverne is a servant."  
  
"Even servants are human."  
  
"It was an act."  
  
"You're the second person who has told me that. But do you know what? You can't act being as humiliated as your servant was tonight."  
  
"And why do you care so much about her being embarrassed? The way she's treated you I'd have thought that you'd have been laughing the loudest."  
  
"I care because I'm human too."  
  
Lucius glared at her, and she at him. Their conversation had gotten them no where. If anything it only proved to fuel their fires.  
  
"You care too much," Lucius said. The full force of his anger was being held back by some unseen force.  
  
"You know, you're also the second person who's told me that too. I care too much, you care too little. What a pair we make." Selina was being cheeky, she knew that, and it was not helping her any.  
  
"You don't care a damn about what you did tonight. Ms. Laverne doesn't have the sort of reputation I do. My family thought I was so weak tonight, having such a disobedient wife, that they thought they could laugh at me. They think I'm a fool, a weakling, that I've gone soft. Do you know what could happen if word got out that the wife of Lucius Malfoy mouthed off to him?"  
  
"You'd get laughed at more. You deserve it." By now Lucius was unnerved at her lack of concern for his reputation.  
  
"You made a fool of me in my son's eyes. Do you care about that?"  
  
Selina allowed herself a faint smirk. "I think you did a fair enough job of that yourself," she said.  
  
Too late she realized the mistake she had made. Selina had never explored the void that was the relationship of Lucius and Draco Malfoy, always having been respectful enough to know that some things were meant to be kept private. It was no surprise, then, that she didn't know the subject's sensitive spots. She had no way of know that one of her 'husband's' greatest fears was failing as a father. He hid it well, and he had his own twisted methods in which he thought he could ensure himself that he'd never fail Draco, and most of the time he could blindly ignore the mistakes he was making. Most of the time, he could actually believe that he knew what he was doing. But, every so often, something, or someone, would serve as a harsh slap in the face. They would peel back the foggy layers of lies and denial that made his world run and show him the kind of husband he really was, the kind of father he really was, the kind of man he really was. Nothing was as horrible as taking a true look at yourself and seeing acidic blackness eating away your humanity.  
  
"How DARE you!" Selina backed up against the closed door as Lucius advanced on her. "How DARE you say such a thing!"  
  
Selina was afraid. As any pregnant mother would, her arms flew to cover her womb and to protect her child. Lucius didn't notice that. He advanced even more. Soon he had his body pressed roughly against hers. The doorknobs dug painfully into her back, creating dark bruises that would be tender for days.  
  
"You don't know what you're doing," Selina whispered as Lucius gripped her arms with a viselike strength. They were yanked away from her stomach and pinned above her head. Selina wondered if he meant to strike her. Her mind whirled with ways in which she might protect herself, for ways to throw him off balance, and so she decided to do the one thing he'd least expect. She would channel his rage into a different category.  
  
Without considering the consequences of her actions, which was perhaps the most foolish thing she'd done all evening, and thinking only of her baby's safety, which perhaps made up for her foolishness, Selina leaned out and kissed her furious husband. The kiss lasted for six full seconds as first Lucius went through a short period of shock. Once he realized what Selina had done, however, he pulled back as though touching her had scalded him. He stared at her with intense gray eyes, and he looked as if he was seeing her for the first time that night.  
  
"Oh." He was now backing away from her. "Oh, my!" He sounded completely thunderstruck. Selina could not yet tell what exactly her 'husband' was feeling. She still feared for her safety, but, as Lucius stared at her, almost in awe, her fears dwindled away to mere agitation.  
  
"It's late," she said. "Are we at an agreement?" There had been no agreement, not even talk of one, but Selina was eager for him to leave. She still had to work on the present for little Juno, and then she had to get some sleep, for her morning would be an early one. She hoped that she had stunned Lucius enough so that he too would feel the need to leave. Indeed her wish was granted.  
  
"Oh, ah, yes. Our agreement. Yes, I suppose...Our agreement."  
  
He made no sense. Selina wondered if she had stunned Lucius enough that he would be permanently damaged. She found that she didn't really care, and so, with the greatest caution, she proceeded to kick him out. "Then maybe you should go to sleep. We'll have to get up early tomorrow, you know, so that the children can open their presents."  
  
"Ah, yes. Presents." Lucius nodded as if she had said a very sensible thing. "Well, we'll talk later." Selina had no idea at what he meant by that, but she acted as if she did, and she stepped aside from the door when Lucius made his move to leave. He said no goodnight, no goodbye, and no apology.  
  
Selina thought little of this all. She had not been hurt or beaten or too terribly traumatized. Her baby was not harmed. That was all she could ask for. It was a Christmas miracle that Lucius had not screamed himself silly at her or thrashed her badly. It was a miracle that she had only a few bruises to show for the past thirty minutes' events.  
  
Selina didn't bother to watch her 'husband' walk down the hallway, and she shut the door quickly after he had stepped out. She began humming a Christmas tune and turned to go to her room and make the proper preparations for Juno's pretty red present. In her dedication for a job well done, Selina was able to forget, if only momentarily, about the pain and surprises that had occurred that Christmas Eve. It was a much appreciated present, she thought at the time, but standing outside her door, there was a man who was not as lucky.  
  
Lucius Malfoy would never forget the moment when Selina had kissed him.  
  
He had been so enraged, so dangerous, so raw and wrathful, but she had summoned the courage to kiss him. Her lips had been cool, and he knew that they had been parted and trembling. He had captured every detail of the six seconds that they were joined, though he would never know why it was that thirty years later he would be able to remember that her lips tasted of eggnog. He was never a sentimental man, and he doubted he ever would be, and so he had no way of guessing that those were the sort of things you remembered when you fell in love.  
  
It was impossible.  
  
It was unbelievable.  
  
It was crazy.  
  
Lucius Malfoy knew all this and yet he didn't give a damn. If he had taken the time to count them then the clichés would have amounted to no ends. If he had taken the time to think about the ways things could go wrong then the possibilities would never have ceased. And though time seemed to drag by after Selina shut the door, Lucius Malfoy thought to do none of those things. As it usually is when one falls in love the only thing he could think of was her, Selina, his wife.  
  
It was a good thirty minutes before he got enough sense into him to return to his rooms. It would do him no good if someone, Selina or otherwise, came to find him staring at the double doors like an idiot. When he arrived in his drafty rooms he did not, like any sensible man would have, sit in front of the fire. Instead he allotted to stay hidden in the shadows of his sitting room. Why would he need a fire to keep warm? As stupid as it sounded even to himself, he had his love, and though it may not have been enough, it was something to keep him company on a cold winter's eve.  
  
~*~  
  
And so, as it came to pass, the worst Christmas of Selina's life turned out to be the best of her husband's. Maybe it was not so mch a miracle as a coincidence, or some great cosmic plan useable to even the magic. And to those watching, for there were always those who watched Selina and her new husband for their own devious reasons or because they worried for her safety or because she simply sparked their interest, it was the last unexpected twist to a night that had been chalk full of unexpected twists.  
  
Some wept for joy, for they loved Selina, though she might not ever know their love. They were happy that she might know his love, if only he would find the courage and dignity to admit it aloud.  
  
Some wept for sadness, for they loved Selina so much that it hurt them terribly to see her life take such an unfortunate twist. They saw no good in Lucius Malfoy, and love was not of his nature, and so they saw that only havoc and pain could be brought about by such an anomaly.  
  
And some did not weep, for they were the devious ones, and tears were not meant to spring to their eyes. Instead they raged, for they also saw an anomaly in the love that came from Lucius Malfoy. They plotted the death and demise of Selina, to be caused by a single symbolic blow, and if he loved her enough, they he might take the blow in her spot.  
  
And then there was one unique reaction. One certain soulless existence found no favor or rage or anger in the love that Lucius Malfoy had come to know for his wife Selina. It had known that the love was an inevitable step in its plan, a plan different from all others, a plan that would destroy her in a way worse than death.  
  
It had a certain score to settle with Selina Julliard, now called Selina Malfoy, and it would be stopped by no one.  
  
Not a miracle.  
  
Not a husband whose love for his wife was new and unstable but would become unbreakable.  
  
And definitely not the two combined. But it did not understand love, so it could not know how closely the two were related.  
  
In the end love and miracles might save Selina.  
  
But in the end it might also destroy her.../I 


	10. Chapter 9

A/N: Hey everyone! Just as an FYI, the words between *word* and the {word} are two different people talking. On the FictionAlley version the words are in bold and italics.Go there to get a better idea of what I mean!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or, in this case, any of the Slytherin gang. They belong to JK Rowling, of course, and the wonderful people at the publishing company. Selina Julliard, Riley Bryce, and the plot on which this fiction is based on is of my creation however, so don't take them and post them as yours!  
  
~*~  
  
When Selina entered the large, high-ceiling room that had been cleared for a twelve foot Christmas tree the next morning she drew more than a few gasps. Maxine Malfoy-Hahn's beady eyes widened in amazement, and when her head whipped around to whisper something to her sister, old unhappy Carew. Carew nodded agreeably, and her lips pursed as if she were holding down a truly unpleasant comment, and had Selina been a bit more confident the unabashed scorn she saw in the older woman's eyes would have been revealed as unabashed jealously.  
  
Selina had always been proud of her hair and its bright color. It wasn't the normal orangey color that most 'redheads' had. It wasn't even the dark russet shade that many witches opted to dye their hair for. No, it was a bright, flaming, glossy red. Ever since she was fourteen she had worn it down to her mid-back. When it was straitened it hung a few inches lower.  
  
But that morning her hair was nowhere near her back. Now the tips of her hair barely reached her chin. She had layered it, through some magical spell or another, for Selina was no hairdresser, and since she had straitened her hair for the holidays she looked perfectly chic. It had all been part of her present for Juno, and, clutching a medium sized box in her arms, she sat down in an isolated area farthest away from the tree. Maxine Malfoy-Hahn eyed her cousin-in-law with blatant disapproval but said nothing.  
  
Lucius was the first to break the silence. "We're all gathered now. As it is a long lasting Malfoy tradition, the newest female to come into womanhood is the one who passes out the presents. For the past four years it has been my cousin, Dionyza, who has borne this honor. Now the job falls to my wife, for she is three years younger than Dion."  
  
"Indeed," Carew commented, earning a rather nasty glare from Lucius, Lucifer, and Dionyza. Selina seemed too embarrassed to glare, a fact that did not escape the shrewd attention of Carew or Maxine.  
  
"Thus I ask Selina to select the first gift to be opened this morning. Can you do that?"  
  
Everyone turned to look at Selina. She had been clutching her box very tightly, and she looked oddly uncomfortable to be given such a task, but she stood with an ungraceful movement and started toward little Juno. The young girl beamed with glee at being chosen, for this had never happened to her before, and she took the package held within Selina's arms with gusto. She ripped the paper from the box in such quickness that her father became cross, but the little blonde cherubic child did not notice. She was utterly delighted with the doll contained inside.  
  
The doll had been given to Selina when she was seven, incidentally during Christmas time. It had been just three months before Simon Julliard's parents and only sister, the last of the Julliards, had been killed in a magically induced explosion. The doll had been one of many that year, given to her by her mother, but Selina had long since grown out of it. The doll had sat forlornly at the bottom of a trunk, and Selina hadn't even known she had brought it to Malfoy Manor until two weeks before. Even so she hadn't had any use of it until the night before, when Juno expressed that she wanted "to keep pretty red forever".  
  
The doll had originally been given brown, plaited hair and large blue eyes. She had been dressed in a lacey muggle frock of mauve, with two lace-up, high-heeled leather boots as shoes. During the night, however, Selina had magically removed the dolls hair and replaced with her own shorn red locks. She had charmed the dolls eyes bright green, much like her own, and she had cut up an old robe of hers to make a more modern day outfit. The boots were the only part of the original ensemble she had kept, though she had removed the laces to make them more trendy. The completed product had an unmistakable resemblance to its previous owner, but at the same time it had a unique look all of its own. However it looked, Juno was quite pleased.  
  
"Mummy! Look at pretty red!" Juno waved the doll in her mother's face, and Elena gave Selina a grateful look.  
  
"Thank you, Selina. It's such a lovely doll! And you've given it your own hair! Juno will be sure to write you a thank you note." Elena took her daughter on her lap, and Selina proceeded to pass out the numerous other gifts.  
  
The morning went quite smoothly. Though there were quite a few complaints on the part of the Hahn children-"Mummy, where are our special dolls?"-in the end, everyone got what they wanted.  
  
Lucius all but showered her with gifts. He gave her with several beautiful ball gowns, and, to go with the gowns, no less than a dozen pairs of glittery heels. Though she received many trinkets collected by him from his business related travels, her favorite jewelry came wrapped in a light blue box. Selina had often wondered what had become of the prize that her team had won from the Weasleys. She hadn't really understood what "dragon related products" were, but when she opened the box she found a gorgeously crafted necklace and a matching bracelet. The stones were of different colors-the necklace was blue and the bracelet red-but they both shone prettily.  
  
"Dragon stones, Selina," Lucius explained. "Dragons have a knack for finding beautiful stones such as those ones. They can have whole caches of stones stashed away. They're considered quite valuable, because it's so hard getting a dragon to part with its stone. There were three of these in the prize package, and I requested that I have two. Snape got the other one, though Merlin knows who he's going to give it to."  
  
What could have been a nice moment was ruined by Lucius's bitter attitude, and, after making sure he knew that she thought him to be rude, Selina continued passing out presents. She finished late in the morning, and then the entire family sat down for brunch. The rest of the day was uneventful, unless you counted Lucifer accidentally spilling hot broth in Lucius's lap at Christmas dinner eventful. Selina herself could barely repress giggles as her 'husband' all but somersaulted backwards out of his chair and stormed out of the dining hall. Lucifer looked apologetic but not apologetic enough to get up and follow his brother outside.  
  
At the end of dinner everyone said a stiff goodnight to each other. Maxine and Carew leered rudely at Selina's back, and Elena gave a small wave. Dionyza offered to walk with Selina back to her room, but Selina made the excuse that she was headed to the library. In all truth she was headed out to her garden. It had been far too long since she had tended the flowers and other plants in her small plot, and besides, she needed to get out and think. Returning to her rooms only briefly with the purpose of grabbing a thick velvet cloak, Selina was out on the backgrounds of Malfoy Manor within minutes.  
  
~*~  
  
During the course of their Christmas dinner a small snow storm had started up. Common sense told Selina to turn back, but too much was on her mind to pay attention to common sense. Thoughts tumbled about her head, most of them focused on her unborn child and her distant husband. It might just have been her, but Lucius had been acting.strangely. Half the day he had stared broodingly at her and the other half he had spent pretending he didn't notice her. His infuriating behavior was, at the very least, as annoying as paper cuts.  
  
She missed her friends desperately. Without Pamela's good natured cheeriness or Riley's sarcastic remarks surviving Christmas dinner with the Malfoys had been nearly unbearable. As she reached her garden she counted the millions of ways that Maxine and her bratty children had irritated her. Her tense frustration all but evaporated when she stepped into the small garden, which remained untouched by winter. After strolling about for a minute Selina began to shed her thick, winter's clothing. Soon she was wearing only her thin shawl and equally thin garnet dress that set off her red hair.  
  
Selina became lost in time as she tended to her flowers and the few vegetables she had chosen to plant. The sky above her was an unchanging blue, and when no night came, Selina forgot that there might be people worrying about her. It wasn't until she heard a low, beckoning call that she stopped watering her gardenias.  
  
The sound didn't return for a few moments, and so she listened with strained ears for a moment or two before crediting the noise to her imagination. She went back to watering gardenias, and she had moved on to planting pansies by the time that the sound came again. This time she was sure that it was real, and when the call came for a third time she became aware that it was human.and male. Her body went rigid with shock, and in an instant she had stood and rushed to the garden door. She opened it a crack, and then she slipped out into the cold night air, forgetting her cloak and shawl and warm winter's clothing.  
  
It was Arielle DeSanders.  
  
And the male calling her was Lucius.  
  
~*~  
  
Lucius always met with Arielle after the Christmas Day dinner. Usually having wild, meaningless sex was all that could erase Narcissa's cold, icy behavior and his relatives gratingly annoying personalities. A few hours in the arms of Arielle and he would be able to face his family the next day.  
  
But this year was far different.  
  
Lucius hadn't slept for over twenty-four hours. He'd gotten maybe three hours of sleep the night before, the rest spent wandering the manor and thinking of his kiss with Selina. He had fallen for her, so suddenly and without a bit of warning. As of the present he had no reason why he should love her. All that he could be sure of was that he was indeed besotted with his wife.  
  
As much as he might come to love his wife, Lucius knew he wouldn't change overnight. He had no desire to give up his dark and arrogant lifestyle. It suited him just fine, and not even love could whittle away his opinion. But that did not mean he was unwilling to concede his habits just the tiniest bit.  
  
That meant that Arielle had to go.  
  
Lucius had owled her and asked her to meet him in the backgrounds of the manor. Arielle had done so twelve-o-clock, dressed in her usual too-tight- to-be-respectable clothing. Perhaps it was the effect his family was having upon him, but her tart like behavior served only to annoy him that evening. Lucius suspected Arielle had sensed his agitation, for she kept her distance and stared at him oddly. They had disappeared into the woods in utter silence, as they most often did, and Lucius finally decided to speak.  
  
"You're being let go. I don't need either of the services you provide me any longer." His voice was steady, and though he looked at her he wasn't at all seeing her.  
  
"Let go? This is a shock." Arielle seemed neither outraged nor disappointed. Perhaps she believed he was joking.  
  
"I'll refer you to an associate of mine. He can't pay as well, but it's the least I can do." Lucius wanted this to be over as quickly and painlessly as possible.  
  
"Can't pay as well as you? I see." Arielle's tone had acquired an odd bite. She had realized, once Lucius mentioned money, that she was indeed being fired. What's more, she didn't seem to like it one bit.  
  
"Don't make a scene, and don't get snippy with me. It's not as if you'll be totally unemployed. This man, Johan Fritz, will pay you enough money so that you'll be well off. Just not as well of as when you were my secretary."  
  
"And your mistress. Tell me Lucius, why can't I simply be your secretary. I know that you don't use me the other way any more, but why lose me completely? Someday you might change your mind.Especially when your new brat comes around." Arielle had probably meant to sympathize with him on what she assumed to be an unwanted baby, but he gave her such a look that she instantly knew differently. "Ah. Now it's more clear. You love her."  
  
She said this in an extremely condescending manner, as if he had suddenly became extremely stupid. Lucius looked away from her. "That's extraneous to the point, Arielle," he said coolly.  
  
Arielle began to cackle. "You've fallen in love with her! You've fallen in love with your wife! That's just rich! And I bet that you're keen on her to love you back!" Arielle had always been slightly off stable, and maybe that was why Lucius had been so taken with her, but suddenly she stopped laughing and glared at him. "Surely you must know that she hates you. She'll never love you." The air was frigidly cold, and when she breathed puffs of clouds swirled out of her nostrils. "She'll never love you."  
  
Though Lucius had known that what she said was true-after all, he had been telling himself that all day-it hurt coming from another's mouth. It hurt quite badly, in fact. And so he lost his temper. He didn't explode into a tirade, for when Lucius Malfoy was at his absolute worst he became not irrational and mindless but extremely cold and calculated, but instead he began saying terrible, heartless, awful things to his now ex-mistress.  
  
"And who would you be to talk, Ms. DeSanders? You're just a hooker. Not a cheap one, mind you, but a hooker all the same." When he saw the expression on Arielle's face he decided to continue. "I suppose you thought you were different from the rest, maybe even above them, because you were expensive. But no.  
  
"Who are you to speak to me about never knowing love? You've long ago settled for being second best. You're a terrible underachiever if you actually like being a mistress, and you're a terrible idiot if you think I'd ever have married you." A terrible look came over Arielle's normally pretty face. Lucius knew that he had hit a sore spot, and he decided to run with a good idea. "Tell me, Ms. DeSanders, just how many mistresses are currently married to the man that employed them? How many men divorce their wives only to remarry their personal whore?  
  
"None. Because you're lot is supposed to be a public secret. Everyone knows I have a mistress, but nobody knows your name. And besides-marrying my mistress would be settling for second best. And you know how awful I am at that." Lucius finished his tirade, and, a very smug look came over his face when he saw how shaken Arielle had been. For reasons he might never know, she looked horrified, as if he had held up a mirror to her and forced her to take a good look. For a second a tear or two made her eyes shiny, but just as quickly as they had come, they were gone.  
  
And then things got ugly.  
  
Arielle had recovered from her verbal shakedown, and she looked murderous. Her eyes blazed with anger, fired by humiliation, which Lucius knew never to be a good combo. Arielle looked as though she was searching her mind for a suitable comeback when she saw something behind him. A slow, wicked smile caught on her lips, and suddenly she had flung herself on him.  
  
"Oh, Lucius, you're right. Your wife is a horrible woman, and the baby is such a mistake." And then she kissed him, nice and hard, like they used to. Lucius was, at first, confused and disgusted by Arielle's actions. But then he heard a twig snap, and a pained snort, and the crunching of snow as someone raced away out of the woods.  
  
Lucius knew without looking that Selina had heard not the heart of the conversation but only what Arielle had said. And she had no reason to disbelieve otherwise. She had no reason to believe him if he told her he was lying. In fact, she had no reason to want a baby anymore.  
  
And then he felt disgusted only within himself, because he had been taken by the second best, and in losing that battle he had lost more than dignity.  
  
"I'll deal with you later, Ms. DeSanders. And believe me, it won't be your cup of tea," Lucius snarled at the smirking blonde woman. He shoved her roughly out of his way and started off at a fast jog in search of Selina.  
  
~*~  
  
{There she is.}  
  
*DeSanders kept her part of the bargain, pet. I'll pay her after we're finished.*  
  
{Or you could just kill her.}  
  
*Our Master would not like our informant dead. It would greatly displease him.*  
  
{And catching us here wouldn't?}  
  
*Being here is something that needs to be done, for our cause. For our Master.*  
  
{He's not my Master.}  
  
*Or so you tell yourself, dearest pet.*  
  
{I can kill you too, you know, for calling me that. And the girl, too.}  
  
*Our Master wouldn't like that either, pet.*  
  
{Re vera, cara mea, mea nil refert.}  
  
*Eh?*  
  
{Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn. Now shut up and listen up; the girl's upset, and she's getting careless. She's an easy target now, so round up the others and follow my lead. I get the first blow, and then she's all yours. Understand?}  
  
*Completely.*  
  
~*~  
  
Selina ran like a bat out of hell, but to her it felt like she was running deeper into it. She knew she shouldn't at all be surprised. After all, Lucius had never really liked her. He might think her terrible, but she usually thought the same of him.  
  
But to say that their baby was a mistake.It was a painful blow. Selina had never expected her 'husband' to love their child, but she hadn't expected him to hate it either. She had fled, of course, because she could not stand to face the man that she had married. She could not stand to see on his face his hate for an unborn child.  
  
Finally Selina stopped running. She had exhausted herself, and, to make matters worse, she didn't know where she was. She had not run deeper into the woods, but she had run in a zigzag pattern through them, ending up in a place far north of the manor. Selina knew that the area around Malfoy Manor was magically preserved to be much larger than Wiltshire would allow. Ms. Laverne had given her a rough picture of the idea one morning, when Selina wondered aloud how Malfoy Manor could have such a large territory.  
  
"Oh, you silly girl, isn't it obvious-no, wait, you're American, and you wouldn't understand the concept. You see, about one-hundred-fifty years ago, when places across Europe really started developing, wealthy purebloods felt threatened. Why? Because now muggle might stumble upon their manors and estates and properties, and then they'd start asking questions, and, well, you get the point.  
  
"Eventually a wizard named Gravis Hammond found a solution. He was a smart man, and he came up with an extremely complicated spell that created ex- mat. Ex-mat is short for extraneous-matter. It was still in this world, so it can't be considered a dimension, but basically it takes all the matter of a small area of land and transports it somewhere else, making it seem gigantic to those with magical blood. To muggles and the like it's some crumbling house. But the Malfoys bought a colossal piece of land, large enough to host two towns and one eight-hundred acre forest, so don't ever get lost. They'll be no neighbors to help you home."  
  
No neighbors to help her home. That was just her luck! Now she was out in the dark, utterly lost, and totally alone. Or was she? Selina began to feel as if something were watching her. The skin on the back of her neck was hot, as if someone were staring a hole through her. And then her neck actually began to burn, and Selina realized, with a terrifying jolt, that someone was actually trying to burn a hole in her neck. She let out a cry, and then something strong and hateful and fierce kicked her legs out from under her, and she collapsed with a pained gasp.  
  
The events of the next ten minutes ran together in one drawn out, blurry sequence. All Selina knew was that, with every second, she hurt a little bit more. At one point a hard, booted foot flew out of nowhere and kicked her dead on in the chest. In doing so the breath was taken from Selina's lungs, and a new kind of pain started to take over, but she comforted herself that no one had gotten a good kick at her stomach, or at her baby.  
  
She had just begun to wonder if these people were muggles, and if she had just wandered completely out of the ex-mat that Malfoy Manor resided in, because as of yet no one had used magic. But she thought too soon. She barely heard a woman cry, "For my sister!" and then "Crucio!"  
  
Before Selina could place the curse with its side effects a pain so intense took over her entire body. She stopped caring about her baby then, and she began to scream. It was as if a white, hot, scalding pain was coming out of every one of her pores. Except it wasn't just scalding and fiery-the pain was freezing and frigid and wiped any memories of warmth from her mind. Combined, the two different sensations were hell, and though unconsciousness was never granted to her, Selina fell away into her own troubled, off-balance world.  
  
~*~  
  
Not so far above Malfoy Manor and its grounds two figures watched the half- dozen figures or so torture the redhead. Both were tall, but they stooped tremendously to get a better view of what was going on below them. The duo was made up of a man and a woman, and the woman seemed more upset about the writhing young woman than the man did.  
  
"Don't say it," the man said, placing a hand on the woman's shoulder. "Don't you say it. We've saved her once. She has to fight her own battles sometimes."  
  
The woman snorted and spat. "That isn't a battle," she hissed, slamming a slender fist upon the table. "That's a massacre!"  
  
The man tensed. He did that often, and it annoyed his female companion to no end. But such was her state that she did not care to notice. "But she can't die! She's in that world for a reason! She has to find it, and you know that!"  
  
"I know that fate will make its own course. Even we aren't great enough to understand the future, and how destiny works."  
  
The woman let out an odd sound, something like a sob without the tears. She didn't begin to cry, but she pointed an accusing finger at the man and whispered, "The years have made you a coward. You know that, don't you?"  
  
"The years have affected everyone. I could say that they've made you reckless and stupid."  
  
"I take that as a compliment."  
  
"The dead don't take compliments."  
  
"I'd like to see one of them try to off me."  
  
"I, on the other hand, would not." The man looked almost fondly at his hearty, stubborn friend. "Have trust. Fate will work its way."  
  
"I don't trust fate anymore. Watch and learn, and remember. If you won't save her then I will."  
  
~*~  
  
Lucifer Malfoy was roused from his deep, sated sleep by the loud, purposeful barks of his sister-in-law's crups. From the sound of it, Artemis and Apollo were hot on the trail of something.Or something was hot on the trail of them!  
  
Lucifer groaned and rolled over in his bed, taking care not to disturb Maxine Malfoy-Hahn's personal servant, who had been all too happy to share his bed that evening. He had been forewarned by his brother about ignoring whatever the infernal beasts did, but something told him ignoring the crups could be a fatal mistake. He swung his legs over the bed, pulled on some simple slacks, and stumbled into the hallway. Much to his surprise, Dionyza was chasing the wild crups too.  
  
"They know something," she whispered, and the cousins nodded in agreement. They took off after the resounding barks of Apollo, and chased them outside and onto the grounds...  
  
~*~  
  
Selina knew she was going to die.  
  
It was an inevitable outcome. No one could be in so much pain and be expected to live.  
  
No one should have to, either.  
  
She only prayed that death would come soon.  
  
But wait.  
  
Something, or someone, was coming!  
  
~*~  
  
A series of barks erupted on scene. Selina barely recognized them as those of her dear sweet Artemis and Apollo. There was a wild screech, and a crunching of bones that was not her own, and another wild screech.  
  
Something dark and dangerous was sweeping about. It was more of a feeling than a being, and whatever shred of sanity she had left, Selina could tell that the creature was furious! She didn't care though, because the searing pain hadn't stopped. Whoever was casting it wasn't at all intimidated by crups.  
  
The pain continued.  
  
And soon she wanted to die again.  
  
~*~  
  
{Damn it! Damn it! Mother fucking DAMN IT!}  
  
*Temper, temper, pet.*  
  
{This is your fault. If she wasn't screaming then those fucking crup mutts wouldn't have come to save her. And if the fucking crup mutts hadn't tried to save her then the fucking relatives wouldn't have followed them! We have to abandon this mission! NOW!}  
  
*I'll round the others up, pet.*  
  
{She should be dead. I'll punish you, for ruining this.}  
  
*Re vera, cara mea, mea nil refert.*  
  
{Go to fucking hell.}  
  
*What makes you think I haven't already?*  
  
~*~  
  
Screaming.  
  
Selina's screaming.  
  
Selina was in pain.  
  
Extreme, unimaginable pain from the sound of it.  
  
Lucius, who had been looking for Selina, froze.  
  
And then he began to run faster.  
  
~*~  
  
Lucifer and Dionyza arrived on the scene a moment before the figures fled. Lucifer saw only a lingering wisp of something, something extremely dark, but he forgot about the wisp when he saw Selina.  
  
"Oh. My. God." Dionyza spoke in broken words, and she looked faint. She had just seen Selina.  
  
Of course, neither cousin had known what to expect while chasing the crups through the dark woods and across the snowy grounds. When they had heard the faint screams of a woman they had increased their pace, as had the crups. They had briefly lost sight of the doglike creatures, but the woman's cries of agony had told them in what direction they should run. Upon nearing the clearing, both had heard the sound of vicious growls and screams that did not belong to the tortured woman.  
  
Selina cries had been pained, of course, but who would ever have wanted to imagine something as gruesome as the state she was in? The young Mrs. Malfoy lay in a crumpled heap, stained with blood and covered in cuts and bruises and awful looking welts. Her right arm was bent a full ninety degrees in the direction opposite of what it should be, and her left eye was swollen beyond recognition. Artemis and Apollo crouched two feet from her, whimpering and immobile and unsure on how they should act.  
  
Lucifer was frozen too. He wanted to help Selina, to save her if it was possible, but at the same time he was afraid to touch her. He hadn't seen anyone that badly hurt since.  
  
"Selina!"  
  
It was Lucius.  
  
Now Lucifer had to act, to keep his older brother from hurting Selina even more in his desperation to save her. It wasn't an easy task to subdue Lucius, who was a good three inches, twenty pounds, and five years older than he was, but after a few well placed sedative spells and several nips at the heel from the crups he was able to stun his brother. By then Dionyza had levitated Selina into the air with her wand. Lucifer did the same with a slackened Lucius, and once again he was off, this time back towards Malfoy Manor. 


	11. Chapter 10

A/N: Okay, Selina loses her baby in this chapter. If that upsets you then don't read on, okay? Flames will be ignored. Sorry to anyone who is offended by this chapter!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or, in this case, any of the Slytherin gang. They belong to JK Rowling, of course, and the wonderful people at the publishing company. Selina Julliard, Riley Bryce, and the plot on which this fiction is based on is of my creation however, so don't take them and post them as yours!  
  
~*~  
  
Selina felt oddly separate from her body.  
  
She opened her eyes and was surprised that she wasn't floating above her beaten form. She was lying in a large bed, and outside the sun was going down. She blinked rapidly and allowed her eyes to adjust to the dim lamplight.  
  
Selina found that she wasn't in her room, or even in a room at Malfoy Manor. It didn't seem like she was in the bright private hospital Lucius had put her in when she fell down the stairs either. Truth be told, the room was quite lovely. The drapes and bedcovers and rug were all the same jewel-tone blue, and walls had been painted only a few shades lighter. To keep the room from resembling a blueberry the designer had made all the furniture varying shades of golden amber and the several pieces of artwork violet.  
  
The two amber chairs, placed five feet from Selina's bed, had been tastefully chosen. Both came from the same period of time-Selina suspected the furniture to be Victorian-but were of slightly different styles. A square, glass coffee table between the chairs looked sleek and modern. A book of artistic landscape photos was the lone object on the table. There was more to observe, but Selina lost interest and began to think.  
  
She was alone. A chair was on the far side of her bed, nearer to the window and the wall, but it was empty. Several sections of the Daily Prophet had been strewn about on and beside the chair, but as hard as Selina stared at the pages she could not pick out a date. Having found that she had no idea what day it was Selina looked the room over for a clock.  
  
There was none.  
  
Selina sat back in bed. Her limbs had begun to ache, and her legs shook of their own accord. Now that she had been awake for a good twelve minutes the effects of her ordeal had started to sink in. Her right arm jerked about at the least expected moments. With each jerk came a small spasm of pain, but not so much that it actually hurt. Selina would have been content to merely lie in bed placidly, sore and beaten and too listless to care, but she had to remember what had happened. It was a road that had to be taken before the healing could begin.  
  
Selina, of course, remembered why she had fled Lucius into unfamiliar woods. He had cheated on her, and to make matters worse he had told the slut that he despised the baby she was pregnant with. She remembered the suddenness of it all, too. One moment she had been alone, and the next an invisible darkness had been upon her. And then there had been boots and burns and pain. Curses, pain, death.And then a blissful darkness.  
  
All of that led up to now.  
  
Selina chanced a glance down at her upper torso. Her right arm, which she vaguely remembered as being broken, hung limply at her side. It ached, like the rest of her, and when Selina tried to move it a sharp ripple of pain shot up her arm. It was a shocking sting, but still, not as bad as Selina would have thought. Using her left arm she pulled back her covers and looked down at her pale legs. The simple white gown she was in was hemmed at the knees, but from what she could see her legs were normal, save for the several large, fading bruises.  
  
Selina suddenly felt very tired. Her energy, which hadn't been much to begin with, was ebbing, but she wanted answers before she fell asleep. She knew that there was something in the back of her mind that she had forgotten. After viewing her body and finding no visible long term damage she was strangely apprehensive.  
  
'No one,' Selina thought, 'could survive something like that without a scratch. And just where is everybody? Wouldn't at least one person be on hand in case I woke up?'  
  
Selina glanced at the door. She half-expected Riley or Pamela or Lucius to stride through the door, just because she had thought it. Of course, no one came, and so she lay back in bed and worked hard to remember what exactly could be the matter with her. It occurred to her that perhaps, upon finding out that she'd at least live, people would avoid her to keep from breaking bad news.  
  
'Well then. I'll just have to find out on my own.' Selina went over the attack again. 'Lucius told Ms. DeSanders that he didn't like the baby. He loves Arielle DeSanders. They were kissing outside of the garden, and I caught them. I ran away. I got lost, and then I was attacked. Lucius didn't like the baby. He loves Ms. DeSanders. They were kissing. I caught them. I ran. I got lost, and then was attacked. Lucius. The baby. Arielle DeSanders.Kissing. Ran away. Got lost. Was attacked. Lucius.The baby.'  
  
And then Selina knew.  
  
With a sick wrench in her stomach she knew what was wrong. "Oh god," she whispered. "The baby."  
  
There was no doubt then that she had lost the unborn child. Though she couldn't remember any blows to her stomach, the searing Cruciatus Curse would be enough to destroy any tiny creature that had been growing within her. For several blissful moments Selina remained totally numb. Her mind was still processing her new, terrible revelation, and the impact of what had happened had not fully set in.  
  
But then a harsh dose of reality hit. Suddenly Selina's world came crashing down upon her. She was too young to be a mother, but still.She deserved the chance to prove herself. She was too young to lose a child.She didn't know how to cope. She couldn't possibly be expected to cope.  
  
Not alone.  
  
Not like this!  
  
Selina sank back into bed, and she stared up and the ceiling. Sleep would not come for ages, and she suspected that neither would company. One was never more alone than in the dark hours of reality, Selina concluded, and she resigned herself to the past.  
  
~*~  
  
They would not let him go to her.  
  
Lucifer clearly thought that his brother was treading a thin line of instability, and whether Draco thought the same or not he had allied himself with his uncle. Along with the help of sturdy Dionyza and a reluctant Riley, the four were able to band together and form enough of a power that Lucius could not find out where they were keeping his wife.  
  
The most infuriating thing about it all was that none of them bothered going to her either. Lucius knew this because all four always guarded him. They'd make sorry attempts to seem as though they were actually doing something of their own interest-Riley might play Dionyza in a game of chess, and Draco might read softly while Lucifer strummed woefully at a mandolin-but as soon as Lucius stood a moved to another room, the other four were sure to follow.  
  
Lucius knew about the loss of the baby, of course. Lucifer had been decent enough to tell him that much. Lucius had not cried. That was not so unusual, for he had not cried since he was a teenaged boy of sixteen. He had, however, mourned for three days. Three seemed like a round, solid number, and so for three days all he did was sit somberly and reflect.  
  
Lucius wondered how Selina would react to the news when she awoke-his wife was still in a light coma, but Lucifer assured him that the doctors said her awakening was inevitable-for she was only a girl of nineteen. The pregnancy had been hard enough, but to lose a child at such a young age.  
  
Lucius loved Selina. He made a sacrifice for her sake. Should she choose never to have children again, he would respect that. After what she heard Arielle DeSanders say, he would not blame her if she didn't even want to have sex.  
  
Lucius always burned when he thought of Arielle. The slut had been at work for someone else that evening, whoever had attacked Selina. She had been smart enough to flee after the attack, and should their paths ever cross again Lucius knew he would kill her, slowly.  
  
The blonde man thought of all this and more as he sat in his study. He worked on nothing in particular, and so only Draco and Dionyza were left to guard him. Lucius could have stunned them both if he had really wanted to, but he wasn't in the mood for a struggled. As was often the case these days, he was in the mood to sit around and blame others for his misfortunes.  
  
A noise at the door caught his attention. It was Lucifer and Riley, and they were bundled up in expensive looking cloaks. They both looked flushed and excited. It could only mean one thing.  
  
"She awake." Lucius was the first to say it, and the words felt good to his tongue, so he repeated them. "She's awake."  
  
"We've only just received word," Riley said.  
  
"She's asked for Riley," Lucifer said, "and for her maid. The maid is preparing the carriage and gathering the crups. I'm going as an escort. Draco, Dion, watch out for this one. He can be tricky."  
  
Lucius gave a mocking snort. "And why am I not allowed along?" he asked.  
  
"Because," Lucifer mumbled, casting his eyes to the ground. "She told the nurse in charge she never wants to see you again."  
  
~*~  
  
Finally a nurse had come. She had given a 'meep' of surprise upon seeing Selina's state, and she had rushed about, mailing owls and asking questions. Three doctors had appeared later, and one of them had been Reggie Carfunkell. He had explained what Selina already knew: that her baby was gone. There had been sadness in the doctor's eyes.  
  
"She's so young," he had whispered to a nurse when he thought Selina was resting. "Too young to get pregnant, and now she's lost the baby. I think she'll need therapy. The husband will be hard to convince on this one, but I'm sure the brother will agree."  
  
Selina had discerned from the snippets of conversation that happened around her that Lucifer Malfoy was handling her affairs, and not her 'husband' Lucius. She was glad of this, and when the nurse asked whom was permitted to see her she made sure that Lucifer would know that Lucius was indeed an unwelcome being. This would cause ripples in her future that would most likely turn into waves, but Selina was too exhausted from the catharsis of self-pity that had recently flooded her to care about the future.  
  
Lucifer Malfoy was her first visitor. He was tall and handsome and reminded Selina of his brother. Lucifer must have sensed as much because after a small series of quick questions he left, leaving a cool kiss on her cheek. Next to come in was Riley.  
  
"Oh, Selly," she breathed when she saw her best friend. "When I first got here the doctors weren't sure you were going to make it."  
  
"Did I look bad?" Selina asked.  
  
"Awful, Selly. All bruises and broken bones and cuts." Riley's eyes narrowed. "What did he do to you?" she asked. "I almost killed that fucking idiot you're married to, you know that?" When Selina sat up to protest, Riley held up a hand. "Don't try and lie and say he had nothing to do with you ending up three miles from the manor, because I don't believe it. Lucius Malfoy has been looking guiltier than all get out, Selina. Even if he didn't arrange for this-and believe me, it took some convincing that he didn't do that either-I still think he said something."  
  
Selina sat still for a long time. She didn't want to tell Riley what had happened. Riley was her best friend, like a sister, but she just couldn't form the words to explain what had happened. She'd forgotten that Riley didn't even know about the garden.There was too much explaining that would have to be done. Selina knew that she didn't have the energy.  
  
"I'll tell you later," she promised. "I just.No Lucius. I don't want to think about him tonight."  
  
Thankfully, Riley understood. Selina could tell that she wanted to protest and push, but something-Selina thought about the baby and decided that maybe it was pity-held her back. "You going to be all right?" Riley asked. "Do you want to talk about the baby? I'm here if you do want to."  
  
'You're here because you have to be,' Selina thought bitterly. 'And perhaps I should be thankful that Riley loves me enough to listen. Lord knows she's scared as hell that I'll say yes.'  
  
"No," Selina said aloud. "I don't want to talk about the baby. I just want to.You know, I'm not even sure what the date is?"  
  
"January seventh, nineteen-ninety-eight. You've been out for thirteen days, Selina." Riley sat down on the bed and folded her arms. "The New Years Ball has come and gone. Lucius showed up, and people pretended not to know that you were in the hospital. I only went for a moment or two, and then I came here for a bit."  
  
"And my crups?" Selina asked. "Can you bring them here?"  
  
Riley sighed and fluffed a pillow, if only to occupy herself with a menial activity. "We brought them, Selina, but the facility doesn't allow animals. No exceptions can be made. They have some pretty allergic people here, it seems."  
  
Nothing could have masked Selina's disappointment. Riley's heart almost broke, her friend became so sad and forlorn. "And just where am I?" she asked, pulling her knees to her chest in a position of vulnerability.  
  
"The Lewis Ludwig House for the Magically Ailing," Riley replied. "Or the LLHMA, as it's so cheerfully referred to. It's not the best, mind you, but you can bet that the best places are where Lucius will look first."  
  
"You haven't even told him where I am?" Selina asked, a little in awe.  
  
"Lucifer seems to think that that's all that keeps him from storming up here. So no, he's in the dark about your location. Truth be told, we had to tell a few white lies to get you in here." Riley grinned elfishly. "Only a selected few, like the three nurses that tend to you-they're all good friends of Lucifer's, so they can be trusted-and Dr. Carfunkell know that you're Mrs. Malfoy. We don't want the press having a field day if they found out what happened to you. No one important knew of your pregnancy, and unless you want a boatload of pity, we'll keep it that way."  
  
"Amazing how much things have changed," Selina commented after absorbing the information. "I never actually thought that rich wives hid out in secretive hospitals while recovering. I always thought that was a bunch of nonsense."  
  
"Apparently not," Riley said. "Is the lifestyles of the rich and the famous all it's cracked up to be?" she asked.  
  
"Definitely not," Selina said, and she collapsed back into her pillow.  
  
A nurse, who must have been hovering in the doorway of the room, bustled in. "Mrs. Malfoy, I think you're friend should go. You need a touch of rest, and then she can come back," the woman said in a commanding voice.  
  
"If it's all the same to you, ma'am, I'll wait quietly in the corner. I swear I won't talk-I just want to watch out for her." Riley ruffled Selina's curls. "I left her once, and I'd not be able to sleep at night if I did so again."  
  
The nurse crossed her arms, and then she uncrossed them. She thought for a moment, and then she gave in. "Just so long as she gets some sleep," she said, and then she was gone, off to linger in the doorway in case anything was needed.  
  
"Night night, Selina darling," Riley whispered, and she went to sit in a soft amber chair. Out from her coat she pulled a book, and, with a last glance at Selina, she began to read.  
  
As always when she read, Riley mouthed the words. The action, which usually annoyed Selina, seemed oddly comforting then. Selina closed her eyes. She bit her lip and concentrated as hard as she could, but it was no use.  
  
As hard as she tried, she couldn't pretend that it was "the old days." As hard as she tried, she couldn't erase from her mind the unborn baby that would never be born. As hard as she tried, she knew she couldn't forget that it would be a long time before things were all right again, and as hard as she tried, none of the eyes that haunted her dreams, be they slate gray or ice blue, would leave her be for very long. 


	12. Chapter 11

A/N: Okay, I hope you enjoy!  
  
Disclaimers: Didn't make up Harry Potter or co., so, it would seem, I don't own him. Warner Bros. and JK Rowling do. Also, don't own the song Draco sings. It's Witchy Woman, by the Eagles.  
  
Bright mornings never made things look any better. In Selina's opinion, what with the blinding morning sunlight and the stupid chirping birds, everything was only made worse. Such were her sentiments when she awoke the morning after Riley's first visit.  
  
She was rather touched to find that her best friend had dozed off in the amber armchair. The tabloid type magazine that Riley had been scanning lay in several pieces on the floor and around her feet. Selina was even more impressed when she saw that, in the small loveseat beside the armchair, reclined a pensive Pamela.  
  
Pamela, unlike Riley, was awake. She too had brought something to thumb through, but her reading material looked more like an old classic book than a trashy gossip magazine. Every few seconds she'd glance up at Selina, as if worried that her mistress had gone back into a coma. When she saw that Selina was indeed awake, her face slipped into a relieved smile.  
  
"Morning, Selina," she said softly. "Did you sleep well?"  
  
Selina shook her head. "Not at all. I had a slew of nightmares."  
  
"I can talk to Dr. Carfunkell about a Dreamless Sleep potion if you wish. It might help you." Pamela set down her novel and stretched. "By the way, Selina, I love your new hairstyle!"  
  
Selina's hands went to her short red curls. The taming charm that had temporarily straightened her hair for the holidays had long ago worn off. Now that a good six inches of hair had been shorn off her curls had become tight and compact, almost like a cap of hair. She hadn't had a good look in the mirror yet, but she thought that she might like the "new" her.  
  
"Thanks," she said in reply. Her voice didn't have its usual perky ring to it though, and Pamela picked up on that straight away.  
  
"Hey, Selina? You'd tell me if you needed a shoulder to cry on, wouldn't you? If wanted to tell me anything about when you were attacked, or about miscarrying, then I'm here for you." Unlike Riley, Pamela's offer was a sincere one. Selina took note that Pamela was the first person not to refer to her miscarriage as "losing" her child. Somehow, that meant something, that someone wasn't trying to soften the blow of what she had gone through.  
  
But still, Selina wasn't ready to talk. She was shifting into self-pity, for being so stupid as to have ventured out into the dark, cold winter's night. She didn't want anyone's comfort. She was content to be a martyr.  
  
"I know. And I would. Thanks Pamela. I'll be alright for a bit. You don't have to guard me. Could you wake Riley and have you both go get some real rest in real beds?" Selina asked. When Pamela lingered she hardened her face. "Do I need to make that an order? I want to be alone!"  
  
Pamela, against her better instincts, complied. She gently shook Riley awake and explained the new plan. Riley looked as though she would put up a fight before leaving Selina's side, but luckily a nurse came in and ordered the both out.  
  
"I'd like to speak with Mrs. Graham," she said, rushing both women out of the posh hospital room. "Come back in an hour or two."  
  
It took Selina a moment to realize that Graham must have been her alias while staying at the private hospice. She didn't know what her first name was, and so she hoped the nurse would mention it in a question. However, when the nurse whipped out a clipboard and quill, Selina began to realize that the nurse was in fact a psychiatrist.  
  
She didn't know whether she wanted to strangle Dr. Carfunkell for suggesting a psychiatrist or her brother-in-law for agreeing to let her see one. Selina opted for both, but she decided that while she was waiting she might as well get rid of her quack as well.  
  
"Hello, sweetheart. How are you holding up?" The nurse gave her a magically perfected smile. Her soft, rosy cheeks dimpled, and her upswept blonde hair had been teased into curls. She radiated a motherly warmth, and Selina supposed that she was supposed to connect with such a kindly woman, but she in no mood to be treated like a toddler by a complete stranger.  
  
"How long are you going to be here?" Selina asked.  
  
"Dr. Carkfunkell thinks it'd be best to start off at two hours. After the first week I'll evaluate how you're doing, and then we'll cut down on the time if things are going well. But really, how are you doing?"  
  
"Two hours? Every day? But I don't need psychiatry! I have my friends-"  
  
"But your friends aren't able to handle a crisis such as losing a child the way I am. Believe me, Mrs. Graham-or would you rather I called you Penny?- by the time you leave we'll be two peas in a pod!"  
  
'I doubt it,' Selina thought angrily as she settled back into bed. She might have to lay there for the next two hours, but that didn't mean that she'd cooperate. Two hours later, after trying to coax at least a few words out of Selina, the woman, who was called Doctor Fuller, left in an agitated mess. Selina watched her go disdainfully. She knew she'd get a repercussion from either Lucifer or Dr. Carfunkell, or perhaps both, but she was beyond caring.  
  
Sure enough, fifteen minutes later, Lucifer appeared, a frown shadowing his handsome features. Selina looked at him a moment, sizing him up to Lucius.  
  
Lucifer, at a first glance, looked nearly identical to his older brother. It was only when you stood the two side by side that you noticed Lucifer's hair was an inch or two shorter than his brothers, curling in wisps at the nape of his neck. His eyes were two shades darker than those of Lucius Malfoy, and so they seemed more like stone than ice. Though his features were designed in the same pointy fashion as his brother's, Lucifer's face was softened by his dimples-Lord knows how a Malfoy ever wound up with dimples-and the fact the he smiled more often. Lucifer was a like a blurred picture of his elder brother.  
  
"Dr. Fuller says you're deep in denial," Lucifer said while standing in the doorway. He seemed reluctant to come in any farther, and Selina clued in that she wasn't about to get punished at all. Even worse, she was about to get a sizeable helping of sympathy. "She says that you wouldn't talk to her the whole session. She didn't tell me much more than that, but I'm worried that you're more depressed than we'd estimated."  
  
'People have estimated my depression levels?' Selina wondered, with just a touch of anger. She herself couldn't tell how unhappy she was-how could anyone else try to do it for her? Her silence seemed to confirm a silent fear inside of Lucifer.  
  
"I think," he said, "that we should extend your stay here a bit longer. Until Dr. Fuller signs off that you're at a more stable level, I don't want you returning to the manor."  
  
Selina sunk deep under her covers and hid from her brother-in-law. She knew she wasn't helping her case any, but she felt like a worthless object of furniture when Lucifer used terms like "stable level" and "estimated" to describe her feelings. She was thankful when Lucifer, sensing he'd done all he could and then some, left.  
  
No one else came that day, except the nurses, and Selina couldn't decide for herself if she was thankful for that either.  
  
~*~  
  
Riley stared at her glass of water and steamed silently, just daring any man to approach her. Her date was late, and she knew he did that just to show her how much in debt she was to him. She hated him all the more for his snide snobbishness. At least she was past wondering how she'd been forced to go on the date in the first place.  
  
It had happened like so: The night after Riley arrived at the Lewis Ludwig House for the Magically Ailing was the worst of her life. Seeing Selina, whom Riley had protected since they'd met on the boat to Serendipity's, all beaten and bruised like that had been a cruel slap in the face. After losing Bruce just months before now it was possible that she'd lose Selina too.  
  
And she couldn't help but feel that everything could have been prevented if she'd only stuck around for the holidays. If she'd been around she'd have never let Selina run off into the woods. Riley knew she would have taken out every son of a bitch who'd dared to go after her best friend. Secretly she knew that she wasn't the one to blame, but depression does funny things to people.  
  
Riley remembered clearing the need to escape. She remembered how smothered she'd felt inside Selina's room, watching doctors rush around her seemingly lifeless friend, checking stats and speaking in large medical terms. She'd never been more relieved in her life when a nurse had rushed her out of the room.  
  
Riley also remembered, though with a little less clarity, that she'd apparated to a dodgy part of London. She couldn't remember how she'd known where to find a bar that didn't card, but she had, and she'd slipped into seat herself at the bar. The bartender, a sleazy fellow who lacked his four front teeth, had served her a martini on the rocks before sidling off to help a drunken patron out the door. It had been in between her fifth and sixth drink of hard liquor that Snake and Bear had approached her.  
  
Of course, their names weren't really Snake and Bear. She didn't ever ask for the real names. They'd just resembled the animals closely, and so the labels stuck in her mind.  
  
"Got a date, love?" Snake had hissed in her ear. Riley had tried to make him go away by closing her eyes. When she had reopened them both he and Bear were standing considerably closer. "Well, do you?" His breath made her neck feel dirty, and Bear reeked of something awful.  
  
When she'd tried to leave, Bear's sweaty hand stopped her short. "You're not going anywhere, darling, until you answer his question," the gargantuan man growled.  
  
"Just let me go," Riley had pleaded. She was drunk, and her words had slurred. The men had taken this for a sign of weakness. Making perhaps the biggest mistake of his life, Snake had but his hand somewhere terribly inappropriate. Riley, fed up with the world, had whipped out her wand and insured that Snake wouldn't be that hand anywhere for a long time.  
  
No, the Bastard-That-Was-Riley's-Date, known to most others as Draco Lucius Malfoy, had not showed up to save her from the thugs. He had, however, shown up to save her from the Ministry when they stormed the bar-Riley had, after all, used magic in a muggle area-and he'd kept her ass out of jail. Riley had known that the Malfoys wielded power at the Ministry, but it wasn't until Draco showed up with that smug, jackass's smirk that cold December night that Riley had realized just how much the Ministry valued the Malfoys, or more specifically valued their money.  
  
"She's a friend of my stepmother's," Draco had drawled. "It would upset her to learn that her best friend could not visit. And when she's upset, so is my father."  
  
That had gotten the attention of whatever stuck-up official had been in charge of the investigation. The two men holding Riley had let her go hastily, and she'd stumbled away from them. She'd knelt down on the pavement and thrown up while Draco negotiated Riley's release fee.  
  
"You boys are short two-hundred galleons on the repairs to the Ministry's headquarters, aren't you? My father would be happy to make the donation. Yes, yes, I'll just owl some more official papers over tomorrow morning. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get Ms. Bryce here home." He'd dismissed himself from the crowd of Ministry officials quickly, and soon he had Riley had been cruising through the streets of London in a long limo. Riley began to suspect that the limo was enchanted, because it made every red light and squeezed down tiny alleyways until it took a mighty leap and was hurtling through the country.  
  
"I suppose," she muttered sleepily, "that you expect some sort of payment. Don't think that I'm going to sleep with you though."  
  
Draco smirked confidently. "Ask you to sleep with me after what you did to that man's hand? I think not! For now, I'd just like your company while I dine at The Pavilion two weeks from now. It's a lovely little place in Bridgington. I'm quite partial to the food."  
  
Riley frowned. "Won't you be back in school by then?" she asked hopefully.  
  
"Ah, mi sucrè, I've already solved that! Due to a family crisis I will not be able to return to school until the third week of January. They'll be plenty of time for our date."  
  
And in the end Riley had been forced into agreeing with him. It'd been one miserable night with the slimy Malfoy heir or many miserable nights in the Ministry's jailhouse. She'd opted for the former, and that's how she'd come to be sitting at The Pavilion instead of in Selina's hospital room.  
  
"I hope I didn't keep you waiting." Draco had finally shown up. He had dressed well for the occasion, in robes of deep, deep blue and a black, silver clasped cloak. Riley looked at him for a moment and had to concede that, in a disgusting sort of way, Draco Malfoy was indeed quite handsome. It made tolerating the date that much harder to have to admit so.  
  
"You're half an hour late, Mr. Malfoy, as I'm quite sure you're aware of." Riley intensified her glare. "Hurry up and sit down. I don't want this to go on any longer than necessary."  
  
"You don't make the rules, Riley. You're here just as long as I please," Draco informed her. He seemed dually pleased that he was in control.  
  
'Machismo jackass,' Riley thought bitterly. 'I bet he has dominance issues too.'  
  
Thankfully Draco was fairly voracious mood. He ordered soon after he arrived and Riley soon after him. After their waiter brought them a bottle of expensive wine-the management of The Pavilion apparently didn't have any qualms about serving a minor and his date alcohol-the table lapsed into a terrible, stifling silence. Draco, as much as he had wanted to go on a date with sexy, older Riley, hadn't anticipated the challenge of actually speaking to her.  
  
Riley was almost thankful for the silence. The date would be wasted away, and her only memories of it would be Draco sipping moodily at his glass of wine and trying to be debonair with little success. When their food came- Draco had ordered sautéed chicken's breast and Riley was dining on fresh veal-they at least had something to occupy themselves with.  
  
Then, three minutes to nine, a tall, suave gentleman approached the table. He was dressed in fancy dress robes and his haircut had to rate at least three digits, so Riley rightfully assumed that he was The Pavilion's owner. Draco didn't notice the man until he was upon their table, and he looked apprehensive the moment the man began to speak, as if afraid a great secret was about to reveal itself.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy! How wonderful to see you here! It has been a while since you last serenaded us!"  
  
Was it Riley's imagination or did Draco Malfoy just squirm?  
  
"I'm sure your lady friend would love to hear a romantic love ballad. Perhaps something by Octavia Harpsbow?"  
  
And why was he blushing? And twitching? And what did this man mean.Serenade her with a love ballad?  
  
"Er, well, maybe not tonight, Mr. Gabiari-"  
  
"But Mr. Malfoy! If you don't sing then I think my staff will go on strike! It's always such a pleasure to hear such a lovely voice!"  
  
Riley was so surprised that she nearly choked on piece of meat. As it was, she coughed it up onto the table and stared at her date, who was shooting daggers at Mr. Gabrari. "Sing, Malfoy? You sing? At this restaurant?"  
  
Mr. Gabriari looked surprised. "But didn't you know, Madame?"  
  
"No," Draco spat, "she didn't. I brought her here to be entertained by others, not myself!"  
  
Mr. Gabriari quickly became all apologies. Riley had never heard a man say he was sorry so many times at once. It would have been rather funny if she hadn't been sure that Draco could run him out of town and ruin the cozy restaurant. As quickly as he'd come, Mr. Gabriari was off, back into the nooks of The Pavilion. Once he was gone Riley had no trouble coming up with questions to start a conversation.  
  
"You sing here? Draco Malfoy, closet performer? Oh, this is just rich!" Riley launched into a barrage of snorts and giggles, the likes of which caused the patrons of two tables over to frown disgustedly.  
  
"The Pavilion is famous for allowing its customers to perform after nine."  
  
"You mean like a karaoke bar?" Riley asked. When Draco raised a fair eyebrow she muttered, "Never mind. But answer my first question: you sing here?"  
  
"On the odd occasion," Draco replied. He was trying to regain control of the situation by being urbane and Malfoyish, but Riley didn't miss the flush around his collar.  
  
"Well, what about tonight? Are you going to perform tonight?" Riley was having fun. If she could just keep Draco flustered then he might crack and sing something.Oh, that'd be good for some laughs!  
  
"I don't believe so." Draco took a sip of his wine and gave a leer that would have made his father proud. That reminded Riley of something.  
  
"Really? Because I would so love to hear you sing." Riley allowed her voice to drop several octaves until it was a husky, sexy Southern drawl. She leaned forward, emphasizing her not at all insubstantial bosom. She knew by the young Malfoy heir's gulp that he noticed. "Would you sing for me?"  
  
Draco was losing any resolve he had built up over the past few minutes. He might have been a reserved, collected Malfoy, but no man could ignore a pretty face like Riley's. But he still had his dignity. "No. No, I won't sing."  
  
Riley decided to turn it up a bit. She hated to touch Draco Malfoy like that.But if she heard him sing then she'd blackmail the hell out of him! Slowly, with a calculated movement that had melted many a man before Malfoy, she placed a slim hand halfway up Draco's thigh.  
  
"Please?"  
  
Her hand gave a soft squeeze, and Draco was a lost man. Screw dignity when you had something like that! He stood and made his way to the stage. A pudgy tourist had been in line before him, but when a waiter in charge saw who it was he all but shoved the woman out of the way. Draco allowed someone to perform a magnifying spell on his voice, and then he stepped onto the stage. Lights dimmed and Riley prepared to laugh until her sides split. Snotty, drawling Malfoy sing her a love ballad?  
  
Bring it on!  
  
And then he actually began to sing.  
  
Raven hair, and ruby lips  
  
Sparks fly from her fingertips  
  
Echoed voices in the night  
  
She a restless spirit on an endless night  
  
Woo-hoo, witchy woman, see how high she flies  
  
Woo-hoo, witchy woman, she got the moon in her eyes  
  
And Riley actually began to enjoy herself.  
  
She held me spellbound in the night,  
  
Dancing shadows and firelight,  
  
Crazy laughter in another room,  
  
And she drove herself to madness with a silver spoon  
  
Draco's talking voice was smooth and elegant, to be sure, but his singing voice was low and husky and manly in a way that no sixteen-year-old boy had a right to be. Riley knew she should get up and walk out. A girl could lose herself in a voice like that. She'd always had a thing for singers-before she dated Bruce she'd dated a moody, punk from a band called Social Pariah- and having a weakness for a Malfoy was a big no-no!  
  
But she could stand to listen to the end of the song. After all, what was one little song.? 


	13. Chapter 12

DISCLAIMER: The characters in the Harry Potter dimension, whether it be Slytherins or Gryffindors, all belong to the extremely talented J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., Inc., Scholastic Books, Bloomsbury Books, and several other companies. No money is being made off this story, and it's not meant to infringe on any copyrights.  
  
A/N: So sorry it took so long to update this...I'm not so good at that, am I? Well, all things considered, please review this chapter. ~Constructive~ criticism is always welcome, and flames will be discarded...So read on!  
  
~*~  
  
"Riles, what's that song you're humming?" 


	14. Chapter 13

And come up with something they did. Selina was whisked away to her rooms by two young maids, both of whom were experts in makeup charms and hair-do spells. The two maids then produced a fairly risqué dress, and, having no other options, Selina relented and slipped into it. After being trussed and fluffed by an approving Andrea, Selina was taken down the hall to Lucius's rooms. Having left all the arrangements to Daphne and Andrea, she had no idea what to expect.  
  
Luckily, neither of her consorts had gone overboard. What with the makeover and sexy dress, Selina had believed Daphne and Andrea to be mislead in what she and Lucius were to discuss. She couldn't help but feel that both women had nothing it better to do than force she and her husband to fall in love.  
  
"Have fun, darling," Andrea called as she left Selina to wait for Lucius.  
  
It didn't take long. He came storming down the hall, in as bad a mood as ever, and Selina was prone to remember his flaming temper. She almost regretted trying to make amends when the door slammed shut and he saw her. However, his surprise stopped him short, and he stared at her in nothing short of shock.  
  
"I waited an hour," he said slowly, after regaining himself.  
  
Selina paused to calculate the perfect answer. While thinking, she noticed that he must have taken the time to spruce up. His hair was tied with a black satin bow, and matching trimmings covered his black robes. The cold of the outside hadn't worn off yet and a tinge of pink brushed his lips and cheeks. Not for the first time in the past twenty-four hours, Selina grudgingly admitted that Lucius Malfoy was notably sexy.  
  
"Your letter came at four-thirty. By the time I finished reading it, it was already past five. By then, well, I thought it would be better to surprise you."  
  
Lucius was still rigid. "I understand," he said softly. He sounded far from understanding, though. The haughtiness was creeping back into his voice. His drawl was becoming more pronounced and irritating. He was reverting back to his former self.  
  
"You said in your letter you wanted to talk." Selina crossed her arms. "Do you want to talk?"  
  
Lucius shrugged nonchalantly. "Perhaps tomorrow. I'm tired now, and I might decide to retire to bed early." To emphasize his point he reached up and untied his blonde hair. Shaking it loose he gave Selina a dismissing look, as if to ask her why she didn't do him a favor a leave.  
  
Selina's shoulders slumped. Her red hair bounced softly around her face as she turned to leave. "Goodnight, Lucius," she said over her shoulder, but he didn't hear her. The moment she given in he had retreated to his own room. Her hand was barely only the doorknob when Lucius dashed out into the front room, gray eyes glinting with...embarrassment?  
  
"Do you fancy yourself a prankster?" he snarled. Whatever good intentions he'd had towards her while writing the letter were gone. She'd done something to grieve him deeply.  
  
Still, she had to ask. "What?"  
  
Lucius rose to his full height, and then some, if it were possible. "You're making fun of me!"  
  
Selina took a step back. "Don't get this way with me," she growled. The fire she'd felt earlier was returning. She'd explained why she hadn't shown up...She'd gone through lengths to make up for missing dinner!  
  
"If you want to play innocent then I suppose I'll have to show you what you did!" Lucius grabbed his wife by the wrist and dragged her into his own bedroom. It was beautifully decorated, with soft looking black covers and several umber pots adorning the dresser and beside stand. However, the furniture wasn't what drew her eyes; it was the rose petals!  
  
Dozens and dozens of rose petals littered the floors and his bed and every possible surface in the room. And not just any kind of rose petals...Red rose petals. Incidentally, a bottle of red wine was cooling in a small, silver container...Selina didn't know if there was a proper name for the object. As if wine and rose petals weren't enough, the second the both of them were in the room the door slammed shut and soft music started playing.  
  
Oh, my love  
  
My darling  
  
I've hungered for your touch  
  
A long, lonely time...  
  
Lucius froze. "This isn't your doing," he said.  
  
"No. It isn't."  
  
Selina should have suspected something when Andrea and Daphne left without slipping her an aphrodisiac potion...They'd been planning it all along. She couldn't help but feel a tad bit of anger towards the two women. After all, they barely knew each other; how dare they interfere with her life like this!  
  
"You let Miss Daphne and her maid help you this afternoon." Lucius spoke slowly, as if uncertain how to piece together the events. "They planned this behind your back."  
  
Selina gave him a cold look. "It would appear so," she snapped.  
  
As time goes by, so slowly  
  
And time goes by so slowly  
  
Are you still mine?  
  
"Hmm. Well, it's to be expected. Andrea's a distant cousin of Ms. Laverne. It should make sense that they have the same ability to scheme." Lucius said this as if he would have admired the feat had he himself not been a victim. "And good Merlin, what is this song?"  
  
I need your love  
  
I need your love  
  
God speed your love  
  
To me...  
  
"It's a muggle song. Unchained Harmony, or something to that effect. Don't know the artist." Selina grinned when Lucius made a wry face. "Even muggle songs annoy you?"  
  
"You wouldn't understand," Lucius snapped.  
  
"You're right. I don't understand a damn thing that goes on in that head of yours. Just forget about it." Selina slumped into a chair. She pondered for a moment, and then asked, "When will they let us out?"  
  
"In a few hours, maybe," Lucius said. "Enough time for us to shag a few times, at least."  
  
Selina groaned. "This is terrible," she sighed.  
  
"Same to you," her husband snapped. Then he calmed. He lowered his head and muttered in a voice so quiet it was almost lost in the music, "I'm sorry."  
  
Lonely rivers flow  
  
To the sea  
  
To the sea  
  
To the open arms  
  
Of the sea...   
  
"What?" Selina almost chocked, which would have been a remarkable feat since she had nothing to choke on in the first place.  
  
"I'm sorry," Lucius said, this time a little louder. He looked at her. "Isn't that what I'm supposed to say? That I'm sorry?"  
  
"Are you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"I'm sorry for being such a difficult man. I meant what I said in my letter, you know. If I were a better man...If I were a better man..." He let out a chocked, strained laugh. "I'll never be a better man. It's no use going all soft and making foppish excuses." He was apparently trying to regain face, but with little success. His voice, while not shaky, was unstable in some sorts, and his eyes darted about in quick, jerky motions.  
  
"However difficult you might be, you are interesting." Selina hadn't meant to say it just that way. She hadn't meant to compliment him at all.  
  
It must have done some sort of trick, though, because he perked up a little and said, "Really? How so?"  
  
Selina could sense that he just wanted his ego to be stoked. It was bad enough that she was stuck in this room with him, but she wouldn't survive an hour with his ego pumped to its fullest. So she didn't reply. She just sat their, ignoring one of the richest and most powerful wizards in Britain, and maybe even Europe. When he didn't implode upon himself or explode upon her she grew rather curious as to why. She chanced a glance over at her husband, and she found that he wasn't even looking her way. He was staring off into space, his gray eyes focused on something that she had no power to see.  
  
Lonely rivers sigh  
  
Wait for me  
  
Wait for me  
  
I'll be coming home  
  
Wait for me...  
  
"What would you have named the child?"  
  
It was a question of complete random, and it was the second strange thing Lucius had said in the past five minutes, but she understood what he was asking her. "Louisiana Amerie Malfoy," she said. "I didn't think of any boys' names."  
  
Lucius sat down on the bed. "I did. Justinian Marcus Malfoy. That's what I wanted to name Draco, but Narcissa thought it was an idiotic name. We both agreed on Draco."  
  
"It suits him better," Selina agreed. "And if the child had been a girl?"  
  
Lucius didn't even pause to think. "Delphine Agnes Malfoy." He said the name, and then his eyes went to the ceiling. "The second," he added.  
  
"The second?" Selina sat up straight. "You'd have wanted to name our daughter Delphine Agnes Malfoy...the second?"  
  
Lucius nodded. Something dark came over him, though, and he snapped again. "God damn it, when will the fucking song be over?" To emphasize his point he threw the bottle of wine at the wall. Then he cried, "Silencio!" flicked his wand, and the room went quiet.  
  
Selina wasn't at all intimidated. Her curiosity was taking over her logic. "Who was she?" she asked. "A grandmother? An aunt?" She paused, and then, "Was she your mother?"  
  
Lucius snorted. "Hardly." Then he asked, "You don't know my mother's name?"  
  
Selina blushed. She didn't know either of Lucius's parents' names. Neither he nor his brother had ever mentioned them, and in turn, she had never wondered. "You never told me," she admitted.  
  
"I never saw a point to it. They're both dead, and I never liked them in their lives, anyway. But for the record, and should anyone ever ask you again, my father's name was Andros, and my mother's was Odessa."  
  
"And Delphine Agnes was...?"  
  
"My sister. She was my little sister."  
  
Selina was shocked. "You never told me that you had a little sister." And then a memory came to here. It was foggy, but it was still there. Mr. Chang at the Hogwarts competitions had mentioned Lucius's sister. Something about how everyone "knew" about her, and his parents too. Knew what about them, Selina had never asked, but she was curious to find out now.  
  
"What happened to her?"  
  
"She died." Lucius spoke in a hollow, unfeeling voice. "She died a long time ago."  
  
"How?"  
  
Lucius gave her a hard look. "She was murdered." He paused for a moment, as if expecting her to gasp in horror, but then he remembered something. "Your sister was murdered too, wasn't she?"  
  
"My whole family was," she replied.  
  
"How?" he wondered aloud.  
  
"I asked first."  
  
"And I'll tell you second. First, tell me how your parents died. Then I'll tell you the events leading up to my sister's death."  
  
Selina was uncertain. "Didn't you ever ask Debra?"  
  
"Ms. Smith?" Lucius shook his head. "Truth be told, when she first approached me I was more worried about you arriving safely than how your parents were killed. After we were wed, I was never in a position to ask you."  
  
"There's not much I could tell you," Selina confessed. "Their deaths are still under an investigation. They were bloodied up, though; I know that much. So much that we couldn't have an open casket funeral. My father was so bad off—he was the only body I was ever actually allowed to see—but whoever the killer was, they did a real number on my sister and my cousin."  
  
"And your mother?" Lucius inquired.  
  
Selina dropped her head. "When they wouldn't tell me what happened to her," she said softly, "Riley went up and gave them what for. She found out that the murderer cut off my mother's feet and tongue, and chopped off her fingers. I don't know if they've been able to find those."  
  
Lucius's pale eyebrows drew together. His hand shot out, and before Selina could jerk away he had given her shoulder a gentle pat. The gesture didn't seem to make him uncomfortable at all, and he leaned back onto the headboard of the bed. "And now I suppose that you will want to hear my story."  
  
"You promised."  
  
"I never put much stock in promises, you know, but I do put quite a bit of stock into you. So I'll tell you how Delly died."  
  
"Delly?"  
  
"A nickname. Delly was Delphine's nickname."  
  
"I would have thought that Malfoys were above nicknames."  
  
Lucius smirked. "We are. But the rules can be broken for the special ones."  
  
"I suppose she was one of the special ones."  
  
"More so than any other," Lucius said. "She was the middle child. Younger than I, but older than Lucifer. When we were children, Lucifer and I fought quite often. I didn't want my scrawny baby brother following me around, and all he ever seemed to want to do was be just like me. It used to drive me mad, the way he'd dress in my clothes and play with my toys. We might have grown up to hate each other if Delphine hadn't always been there to smooth things out.  
  
"Incidentally, we both adored her. It seemed that everyone did, even our mother. Our mother was quite...frigid, you see. She gave birth to eight children, six girls and two boys, but only one of the girls were born alive. My father didn't much care for Delphine-he barely cared for Lucifer- but we were able to shield Delly from his temper.  
  
"When Delphine was fifteen, and I was seventeen, my father took Lucifer and I away to our uncle's home during the summer. We didn't get back until two or so weeks before Hogwarts would begin, and we hadn't seen Delphine much over the summer. We found out when we got home, from our mother, that Delphine was spending time in the town—it was mixed in with muggles back then—with her new muggle boyfriend.  
  
"The Malfoys were never much for muggles, but my father was more interested in going after young, pretty women than non-magical people that he never saw. He didn't think much of Delphine's boyfriend, but my mother did. She didn't like him, or his crowd. She came to Lucifer and I and asked us to talk some sense into her, and if that didn't work, to rough up her boyfriend.  
  
"Lucifer and I were teenaged boys. I had a few girlfriends of my own, and Lucifer was trying to get one for himself. As much as we loved Delphine, we didn't think much of her relationship." Lucius paused and drew in a deep breath. He didn't seem to want to continue, but something drove him on.  
  
"We only started to care about Delphine's boyfriend when we never saw Delphine. Every morning she'd wake up and scamper down the hill, and we never saw her. She became totally immersed in this boy, and she began to pick up his habits. Sometimes she came home completely intoxicated, and then our mother would sweep her into their rooms and they'd whisper until morning.  
  
"By the end of the summer, I didn't know my little sister anymore. Even my father was beginning to notice the changes in her personality. Of course, he was more worried about the muggle boy finding out about magic than Delphine getting into any sort of trouble. Two evenings before we would have returned to Hogwarts, Delphine was still at the manor when I went down for breakfast. This struck me as odd, but I was also rather glad. I believed that I would get to see my little sister for once. I had no such luck, because she spent the whole day in her room. She was doing her makeup, mother said. She was having dinner with her boyfriend that night.  
  
"And so Delphine went down the hill to town. She looked lovely. Lucifer and I wished to walk her down to town, but Delly forbade it. She insisted she was woman enough to handle herself. She left around seven-after all these years, I still remember that-so when she wasn't back by two that morning, our mother awoke Lucifer and I and forced us down to town.  
  
"When we arrived in town, a muggle law enforcer hailed us down. He knew that the Malfoys ran the town, and he knew that we were the Malfoy boys. He told us that there had been an accident, and that Delphine was dead-"  
  
"I thought you said she was murdered." Selina interrupted Lucius before thinking her comment through.  
  
He gave her a scathing glare in response. "She was!" he asserted. "Her stupid fucking boyfriend was drunk! He took Delphine out to a quarry, and he got her drunk too! Then he told her that he and his friends always dove into the water. He told her that she should, too, and that she'd have a real ball if she did. Only, when Delly jumped, there was no water." Lucius's eyes were narrow. "That little fucker got off too, just because he was drunk. Just because he'd had a little booze. He still killed her, plain and simple."  
  
Selina was floored. She'd never guessed that Lucius might have a reason for hating muggles, even if it was an unfounded one. To hate an entire group of people based on the actions of a sole member...No wonder the man was so bitter.  
  
"Delphine's death sent my mother over the edge. Her little ray of light was gone, and so, much like a plant, she ceased to live. My father went mad too, but for different reasons. Every night after my mother's death he'd awaken to find her raving ghost at the foot of his bed. Or so he swore. Lucifer always thought that it was the man's guilt that haunted him, but I knew Father much better than that. In all his life Andros Louis Malfoy never felt a hint of guilt. It was always my belief that he just wanted to hurry up and die and leave Lucifer and I to fend off all the men he owed debts to."  
  
"Debts?" Selina queried.  
  
"Oh, yes. Before dying my father went and lost quite a bit of money to quite a few powerful people. I'd never allow anyone to know it, but there was a time when the name of Malfoy had absolutely no money to back it." Lucius, who had previously descended into a very dark mood, gave Selina the tiniest of smiles, almost as if they were two comrades sharing a trusted secret. "I can trust you to keep your little mouth shut, can't I?"  
  
Selina allowed herself to return the smile. "Who would I tell?"  
  
Lucius nodded approvingly, and then finished his story. "And so, within the next three years, I regained my family's money by taking it back, bit by bit. And that, my dear, is why your husband is a rich man." His tale was closed with a friendly sort of tone, as if its teller had remembered something to smile about along the way. One would never have been able to tell that he'd started out by telling how his sister died.  
  
"You hate all things muggle because of that boy, do you not?" Selina asked finally, before she lost her courage.  
  
Lucius frowned. She could tell that he wanted to shrug off the answer and maybe just shrug off her altogether, but, for whatever reasons, he answered the question without much of a fight. "I hate what that boy represents. The carelessness, the selfishness, the unwillingness to take the blame for his own faults. They're a weaker species among the magical. You, as a witch, are more cautious about your actions because you know the consequences your magic can cause. And because you, in an essence, are your magic you know the consequences your own being can cause. The same cannot be said of muggles, the likes of whom rarely think about those that they might hurt when they charge headfirst into every battle."  
  
A lock of red hair was tucked behind a pale ear, and Selina had to remember how ridiculous Lucius's beliefs were, no matter how academic and established they might seem. The man had a definite way with his tongue, and he could probably suck anyone into his twisted vortex of a mind if they let their guards down. Wisely, though, Selina shifted to a new subject. It had been a question forming at the back of her mind for some time, perhaps ever since she'd lost the first child, but it had been brought forward when Lucius asked what she would have named their child.  
  
"Will we have another one?"  
  
She didn't specify what 'another one' was, but thankfully Lucius understood her question, just as she'd understood his. "It would all depend on what happens with us." He paused and considered if he should add one last line to the answer. He decided to do so. "A child without parents that love each other can get caught in the crossfire. That happened too often when Draco was a child."  
  
"I wouldn't want to raise any child of mine that way either." Selina crossed her legs in the chair and leaned back. "But I do want to have children, someday."  
  
"Someday?" Lucius asked. "How far away is someday?"  
  
"Far away enough to ensure that we're at least friends, I suppose."  
  
"At least friends? You make it sound as if we could be more."  
  
Selina remembered well the day that she told him she could never love him. She still didn't know if love was possible. Rather than getting his hopes up, Selina said, "Only time will tell."  
  
Lucius gave her a tight smile and averted his eyes. Then he looked at Selina, and said, "Yes, friends. We need to be friends." If it was possible, he seemed a little unsure of himself. "I've never really tried to be friends with anyone," he conceded. "My own brother is my best friend, if even that. My second closest friend? Perhaps my cousin Dionyza, but she only bothers to come around during the holidays."  
  
"If it makes you feel any better, I only have a few friends beside Riley. My cousin Bruce was one of them, but he's dead now. There were a few girls from school that I see every once and a while, but besides that, I was a loner."  
  
"What about your sister? You two were close?"  
  
Selina gave a small snort. "Christ, no! Sydney was nine years older than me. She graduated from Serendipity's when I was eight, and then she was out of there. She only came home a few times after that, and usually I wasn't there. I'm closer to Riley's sister Penny than I ever was to my own."  
  
"But still, you know how to make friends. I'll admit it to you, Selina, I'm a better lover than a friend."  
  
Selina looked at the man who was her husband, and decided that, for the sake of any friendship, she'd have to be the initiator. She stood from the chair and sat down beside Lucius on the bed. She reached out to take his pale hand, and when he put up no fight, she gave it a light squeeze.  
  
"It'll be easier than you think, Lucius. Things like this...they just click."  
  
He smiled. A true, genuine smile. "You don't say my name often," he noted. "It's a rare treat."  
  
Selina smiled back. "So, are we going to give this thing a try?" she asked.  
  
Lucius nodded. He squeezed her hand back. "Why not?" he asked.  
  
The music started up again. Right at the moment when they'd agreed to be friends. Once Selina had read a romance novel of Riley's, and something along the same line had happened. The heroine and the hero had said that they loved each other, and then it had started raining. The heroine had thought rain was terribly romantic. They'd both kissed. Selina had thought that the moment was over clichéd and stupidly written. But now that it was happening to her...  
  
Oh, my love  
  
My darling  
  
I've hungered...Hungered!  
  
For your touch  
  
A long lonely time...  
  
...Things were so different...  
  
And time goes by so slowly  
  
And time can do so much  
  
Are you still mine?  
  
...And for a moment, Selina knew that she'd love the man across from her one day...  
  
I need your love  
  
I need, I need your love  
  
God speed your love  
  
To me!  
  
But a moment is only a moment, and when the song ended, so did the mood.  
  
Selina couldn't forget the feeling though, but she could do her best to deny it. Even as Lucius took her hand, and even as he said, "Someday, we'll dance to that," she quelled the feeling that had warmed her heart for a moment. She nodded, even kissed Lucius's cheek softly, and then bade him goodnight. She tried the door, and thankfully it opened.  
  
She didn't think of why it might have opened, and she didn't care, either.  
  
Selina cried herself to sleep that night, but for the life of her, she couldn't understand why.  
  
~*~  
  
Lucius Malfoy awoke a changed man.  
  
Heavens help him, but there was an actual bounce in his step.  
  
And then he remembered the cause of his sudden change in mood. For the first time in some five months of marriage, he and Selina were on relatively good terms. Mind you, there would be some rough spots to smooth over, but all in all, they were one step closer to a real marital relationship. They'd even discussed the possibility of children! They'd finally discussed the miscarried child...They'd finally done many things they should have done ages ago.  
  
They'd finally done something right.  
  
He'd finally done something right!  
  
After dressing himself in clothes befitting a Malfoy in love, Lucius went to see if Selina would take a morning stroll with him. He knew the mansion to have a lovely set of walkways through the gardens, and perhaps Selina would like to pick a bouquet of flowers. He'd been waiting outside her door only a few moments when a young, pimply maid sidled up.  
  
"Monsieur Malfoy?" she asked. She was, apparently, not a native Italian but a French woman. "Your wife asked me to zel you to meet 'er in zee arboretum. She pulled togezer a breakfast picnic."  
  
Lucius was pleased. Selina had actually invited him to breakfast. "Very well," he said, and set off towards the arboretum.  
  
~*~  
  
"I hope you like strawberries and cream," Selina called when she saw him. She'd dressed casually enough, in a dark blue robe that clung to her curves. Lucius was reminded, not for the first time, of how young and lithe his wife was. He squelched his arousal though, knowing full well that the basis of his current relationship with Selina was friendship, and nothing more.  
  
"Strawberries and cream? Where did you find strawberries in winter?" Lucius sat down by Selina on a spread out blanket. She'd settled in a small grove of orchids, and everything around them smelled wonderful.  
  
"Where did Daphne find them, you mean. I don't know. She didn't tell me at all. Just said she didn't like strawberries, and that we were free to have them."  
  
Lucius nodded and reached for one of the ripe, red berries. He dipped it into one of the three bowls of cream Selina had brought along, and then motioned for Selina to open her mouth. She looked rather surprised, but she relented and allowed him to feed her several strawberries. Finally, Lucius asked, "What did you say to our meddling hostess?"  
  
Selina laughed lightly. A bit of cream was left on her upper lip, and she licked it off before answering. "Well, as you might imagine, I was more than a little peeved when she approached me in the kitchens. I was still quite sore about last night. We talked, though, about various things, and then I rather realized that she hadn't really meant harm, but just...well..." Selina blushed.  
  
Few of the women Lucius knew blushed. Only the innocent blushed, he thought. He asked, "Well, what? What did she talk to you about?"  
  
"True love, among things. Did you know she was honestly trying to set us up? You know, get us to fall in love?" She gave another light, airy laugh, as if the idea of love between them was a great fallacy. It was all Lucius could do to keep from losing his temper. God help him, he loved her so much...And she wasn't even considering the idea! Selina was insightful enough to see that he was upset. "Lucius, what's the matter?" she queried.   
  
"Nothing," he lied. "Nothing at all."  
  
"It's never nothing with you," Selina replied, and they sat in silence. After a bit, Selina began to eat her own strawberries, and Lucius made no move to feed them to her. Things settled into a quiet that wasn't at all like the old days, when quiet meant that someone was silently steaming, but still wasn't at all peaceful.  
  
Selina seemed to know that she'd hurt him, Lucius knew, but didn't seem to understand why. And he couldn't blame her for that, either. She couldn't possibly know that he loved, her, and probably couldn't even begin to suspect it.  
  
"Really, Selina, I am fine. Don't trouble yourself with me," Lucius implored. His assurances only seem to attract her attention more, and before she could get downright annoying, Lucius asked, "What do you wish to do with the day? We do not have unlimited time before we have to return to the manor."  
  
"The manor," Selina shuddered. She smiled though, to show that she wasn't totally adverse to returning home.  
  
"I have vacation homes throughout Europe," Lucius told her. "If you please, then in a month or so I can take you to one and work from there. I have a villa near Venice, a bungalow in Berlin, a penthouse in Paris, and château in Crete. Take your pick."  
  
"Cute rhyme," Selina commented before answering her husband. "But why stop at a château in Crete? Why not a chalet in Cyprus and an apartment in Athens? Perhaps a palace on Peloponnesus and a romp in Rome? Another manor in Milan? A fling in Florence?"  
  
As her own rhyme had progressed, Selina's words had grown increasingly intimate. You did not romp and fling with someone you didn't at least want to get to know better, Lucius knew. Putting all of that away for later analytical critique, though, he rewarded his wife with a smile and said, "You certainly know much about the Mediterranean."  
  
"Mostly just Greece and Italy, though a cavort in Cairo wouldn't be too awful. I've wanted to visit those countries for longer than I can remember. Ever since my sister Sydney went and studied for a month on the island of Cyprus. It was one of the few times she ever talked to me, one-on-one. We weren't that close."  
  
"So you've said." Lucius rubbed the nape of his neck. The subjects had shifted from travel destinations to one that was mutually uncomfortable: their siblings. Their conversation continued from the one the night before. "Whenever Lucifer and I see each other, we get along well enough. Sometimes he goes off and does truly idiotic things—locking me up in my own home, for instance—but he's one of the few people I..."  
  
"He's one of the few people you love, Lucius. Be a man and admit it." Selina had curled her legs under her body, and the laugh she gave forth sounded more like a purr than anything else.  
  
"Yes. One of the few people I love." Lucius decided to make himself more comfortable. He lay back on the blanket and unbuttoned his dark robe to expose a pair of black trousers and a crisp white shirt. "I never know how to describe how close we are. We don't see each other all that often, and even when we do, we don't tell each other the intimate days of our lives. I find out more about the women he sees in the French tabloids than from his own mouth."  
  
"Lucifer rates the tabloids?" Selina asked. She sounded oddly amused.  
  
"He was a wild youth," Lucius snorted. "Used to go out, get drunk, and raise hell. On a good night he might take out half of the bar with some spell or another. I should know, because at that point I was writing the checks. He finally settled down when he hit twenty-eight, but the tabloids never stopped following him, hoping to catch another glimpse of the old Lucifer. Sometimes, every so often, they do."  
  
Lucius shrugged, as if he could care less. "He moved to France around the time I began to run for offices. Perhaps that's why. Because he knew his behavior could harm my chances. And then he just never moved back."  
  
"Sydney didn't care if she ever moved back," Selina replied. "She broke my parents' heart because she'd never come home. And then poof; a week before her murder she turns up on the doorstep. I can't help but wonder if she'd still be alive if she hadn't come home." Selina rubbed her forehead and groaned. "Oh, I'm beginning to sound like a horrible romance novel, with all this emotional talk. How did we get so off track? I mean, weren't we planning our day before this?"  
  
Lucius nodded. "What do you want to do today?" he asked.  
  
Selina stood and stretched limberly. "Do they have any horses?" she asked.  
  
"Of course. Daphne is an avid horse rider. I'm sure she'd be able to take you out on a-"  
  
"You'd come too, of course."  
  
Lucius shook his head vigorously. "I can't ride horses. A terrible thing for a man of my stature, I know, but it can't be helped."  
  
"Can't swim, can't ride horses...Well, Lucius, I certainly have a lot to teach you." Selina had a look of extreme determination on her face.  
  
Lucius shrank away from his wife in mock fear. His playfulness changed, though, when Selina dragged him up by his arms. She laughed as he tried to escape her grip, and he laughed with her. In a matter of seconds Lucius managed to turn the tables by wrapping her in a strong embrace. Selina stiffened then, and Lucius could only guess at what he had done wrong.  
  
"Friends don't hug like these," Selina offered weakly. She pulled away from his body and turned to face him. It seemed as though she could find nothing more to say, because, for the longest time, her lips just opened and closed helplessly.  
  
"I'll meet you in the stables in twenty minutes," Lucius said after Selina's cheeks began to color. "We should both be better dressed for this weather."  
  
~*~  
  
It wasn't a snow covered landscape outside-"People with smaller areas of ex- mat can control some of the larger weather movements that occur. The plot of land we live on is too big to do this, but Daphne is able to stop the snowfall, if she so pleases," Lucius said-but the winter chilly was enough to make sure that Selina and Lucius both dressed warmly. Lucius had made sure that Selina's cloak was brand new and very becoming to her.  
  
"Thank you," she said to him when they met up outside the stables. She seemed a little less cautious, and Lucius dared to hope that she'd forgotten how "friendly" he'd been with her. As good as it felt to hug Selina, and as much as it frustrated him, Lucius knew that their relationship was based upon him acting blasé about everything. "Daphne's in the stables, preparing three horses. She wouldn't allow me to lift a finger."  
  
Lucius looked down at her and nodded. "I wouldn't want you lifting one of your fingers. They're far too delicate."  
  
Selina extended her hand so that she could look upon it. When she wiggled the fingers, she admitted, "They are rather slight," she admitted. Then she laughed and took her husband's hand in her own. "But yours aren't much better! My god, I think you spend more time grooming your hands than I spend grooming by whole body." She twirled a strand of her hair and laughed some more. "Even your hair is longer! I never thought that my husband's hair would be longer than mine!"  
  
Lucius allowed Selina her jibes. As long as she was happy he had little to be upset about. He even managed to let out a hoarse laugh when Selina slipped and fell into the snow. In a matter of seconds, she had attacked his legs, and he fell into the snow beside her. Despite the fact that he was on the ground, cold, and rapidly becoming wet, Lucius kept laughing with his wife.  
  
Everything was halted, though, when somebody said, "Cut it out, you two, and get a room." Daphne stood in the entrance to the stable. Eyes filled with mirth, she held the reigns to a large black horse in her hand. "Or, better than that, come help me lead the horses outside."  
  
Selina leapt to her feet, now quite eager to escape from the cold ground. She walked slowly towards the stables, so as not to frighten the horse, and never even looked back at her husband, lying still on the ground. A moment later she stepped out, leading two smaller, golden mares out into the cold.  
  
"I think Lucius will need help getting on his horse," Selina whispered. She said it quietly enough so that Lucius knew she didn't for him to hear, but her words cut him all the same. She clearly thought that he was incapable of performing a great number of leisurely activities. Even worse than that, she appeared to be nervous that he would actually try to perform the said activities, and become a menace to any who were near. A clear image of the day that he almost drowned surfaced in Lucius's mind, and an overwhelming sense of self-disgust overcame him.  
  
'I almost killed the both of us,' Lucius thought quietly as he walked over to the stallion. He barely heard Daphne tell him that though the stallion, Tador, was quite large for a beginner, he was the gentlest horse available. "Yes, yes," he muttered.  
  
As it turned out, Lucius didn't need any help mounting Tador the stallion. He'd seen people mount horses before, and he was tall enough to be able to swing his leg around the horse's back with ease. His sour mood was distilled only a little when Selina complimented him. Soon all three of them were on their respected horses, and they were off across Daphne's property.  
  
For a bit they rode in silence, and then Daphne spoke carefully. "I understand that you're upset with me Lucius," she said. She didn't sound the least bit apologetic, just slightly amused.  
  
Lucius thought. He wasn't so upset with her anymore. After all, if it hadn't been for her meddling than he and Selina would never have become "friends." He didn't know how to answer.  
  
Daphne must have taken his silence as the cold shoulder. She continued, "I hope you won't hold it against me. I really meant all the best." She nodded. "All the best."  
  
"I don't think we mind so much anymore," Selina told Daphne. Her horse, Marigold, was walking at a nice, brisk pace. Lucius willed his horse to match his wife's stride for stride, so they could ride next to each other. He liked it when she referred to them as 'we.'  
  
"I agree," he told Daphne.  
  
"Selina told me that you two are friends now," Daphne said. A smile was curling her lips.  
  
"We are," Selina confirmed. "I suppose we should thank you for that."  
  
"No thanks is necessary," Daphne said. "I know how it was for my husband and I. That's reason enough."  
  
Lucius had no idea where her husband was. He knew Andrea Briello through her several visits to Malfoy Manor. She'd always been there to visit Delilah Laverne, though, and on the few occasions she'd crossed paths with Lucius, they never talked about her young mistress, much less the much older husband. All Lucius knew was that the man's name was Dante Lucci and that he was still living.  
  
The next twenty minutes were filled with gentle conversation between Selina and Daphne, mostly about subjects far too feminine for Lucius's manly interests. It might as well have been silent, for he didn't listen to a single word either of the women said. Instead he brooded, mostly on the damn unfairness of the world. It wasn't until the three riders reached a tree-bordered clearing that he was forced to focus again.  
  
"This clearing's full of flowers in the springtime," Daphne said, "and it's always been my favorite part of the property. My husband and I used to race our horses here, but we never seem to be able to find the time to do that anymore. Could I beg of my guests the favor of a race?"  
  
Lucius sat up taller in his saddle. He was never the sort to turn down a challenge. "I'm for it," he told his hostess.  
  
Selina shot him a worried look. She probably remembered the last time he tried to do something he didn't know how to. But she didn't make a move to stop him from entering, and went so far as to add, "Me too. I'm in."  
  
Daphne clutched the reigns of her horse tightly. Quickly she outlined the starting and finishing points of the race. And then, "On your marks, get set, go!"  
  
All three horses took off. The desire to win was as avid among the humans as it was their animals. Surges of adrenalin pumped through the bodies of the mighty animals, and Lucius was thrilled when his steed took the lead. He might have heard Selina call for him to slow down, but if he did, he paid her no head. Winning always took a backseat priority to safety. All things considered, the stallion was going at a break neck speed when a small animal jumped out of the snow and frightened the horse. As was a normal reaction per horses, the horse reared, and then dashed off across the clearing and towards the trees.  
  
"Lucius!"  
  
This time Lucius heard Selina loud and clear. Had he not been so aware of the trees looming at him, he might have picked out the fear in her voice. As it was, he only had the sense to throw and arm in front of his face before his horse charged into the forest, still traveling as fast as possible. When the first strong, steady branch made contact with Lucius's arm, though, the jolt threw him from the saddle. His right foot was caught in the right stirrup, though, and Lucius was dragged seven meters before the stirrup tore free from the saddle.  
  
His last thought before going unconscious was, 'Selina is never going to let me here the end of this.' 


	15. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I've said it before, I'll say it again. I do not own anyone in the Harry Potter realm. That includes Draco and Lucius Malfoy (of course!) Those two, and all things created in the H.P. universe, are owned by J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Books, Warner Bros., and several other large companies. No money is being made off this story.**

****

**Disclaimer Two: Though I do not have rights over the Malfoy men (Draco and Lucius) I _did_ create their leading ladies: Selina, Riley, and Pamela. I also created the situations in this story. Please, if you want to mess around with any of them, ask first.**

_A/N: All that technical stuff aside, here's the fourteenth chapter...FINALLY! Expect a new (and longer) one in a few days--I swear! Meanwhile, enjoy this one to the utmost! Oh, and by the way...The_ **BBB **_symbolizes a break to another scene!_

**BBB**

_"I can't believe...The second time something like this has...Doctor, will he be...Should I contact his...?"_  
  
A haze of questions cut through the crippling pain in his head and arms. He only caught bits of what the woman was asking, but she seemed very upset, and that made him listen harder.  
  
"And I'll give him these pills for how long?...And then he'll be his old self again?"  
  
The woman didn't appear to be very happy at the moment. He knew, of course, why she was so unhappy. He'd almost been killed in a foolish show of machismo, not for the first time in their marriage.  
  
_"...Lina?"_ Lucius garbled. His voice was dry though, and it wavered, so when he tried to say the name of his wife, it came out as a shortened version. She understood that he needed her, though.  
  
"Shush, Lucius, and I'll explain later." Lucius couldn't open his eyes. He moaned, and a cool hand was placed on his brow. "Thank God that you're alright," she whispered.  
  
"What happened?" he asked.  
  
"Your horse took off. It dragged you around for a bit." Selina removed her hand from his brow. Now her voice was wavering. "You were hurt. Very badly." She sounded near tears. "It wasn't this terrible last time. I wasn't as scared last time." Selina paused to take a shaky breath. "You were so bruised and battered that I thought you were dead. And then your eyes! I thought you'd been blinded."  
  
"What?"  
  
Selina stroked Lucius's cheek soothingly. He must be badly hurt for her to be so tender with him. "You aren't. But you'll always have a faint scar over your right brow. I asked the doctor to heal that as best he could. I know how much you like that face of yours."  
  
"I'm sorry, for frightening you so badly," Lucius said. He truly was. Selina must be some sort of woman, to make him apologize twice in twenty- four hours.  
  
"I'm never allowing you to do any sort of sport ever again. It's a wonder you know how to play quidditch," Selina said. Her voice was stern, but Lucius could tell that her words were not ones of ridicule. Her voice soothed him.  
  
"Will I be better soon?" he asked after she had been quiet long enough.  
  
"Doctor said that you can get up tomorrow," Selina replied. "Magic really does work wonders. When I told him about what happened to me, he was horrified! Said that those quacks should be fired for keeping me in bed so long," she added.  
  
"Carfunkell is alright, though," Lucius replied. "His father was my doctor when I was your age." He shuddered, which hurt a little. "I sound so old."  
  
"You are," Selina teased.  
  
Things were nice and easy between them. _'Perhaps,'_ Lucius thought smugly to himself, _'getting dragged by a horse has its perks.'_

**BBB**

The day finally ended.  
  
Selina left Lucius in his room and returned to her own. She slipped into bed almost immediately after changing her clothes, but she didn't fall asleep as quickly, as tired as she might have been. The day had been long and tedious. There was much to reflect on. Selina might not have been brilliant, but she knew that in most cases, it was better to go over a day's meaningful events then fall asleep and dream about them.  
  
Of course, the most interesting aspect of the day was the change she'd seen in her husband. All day Lucius had been suave and well-mannered, even when it was obvious that he was annoyed. He'd been the man that the world thought he was, and not the hot tempered, inconsiderate bastard that she'd been married to for the past six months. The only characteristic thing he'd done all day was try to race his horse.  
  
_'Leave it to Lucius to risk his stupid neck just to win something,'_ Selina thought.  
  
She remembered finding him in the woods, and she remembered seeing the gash around his right eye. Her screams had brought Daphne to the scene, and the older witch had managed to subdue her enough to levitate Lucius to the mansion. There had been a long period of waiting, then, while Daphne and her household summoned the nearest doctor. Several maids had tried to offer her hot mugs of coffee, but she'd declined on all counts. She hated coffee, really.  
  
Finally the doctor had come. He'd been a portly man, with a dark bushy beard and dark eyes. Dr. Larazeo at your service, he'd told her in a heavy Italian accent. He'd added, "Your husband will live."  
  
For the next three hours, all Selina could do was take the doctor's good word. For concentration purposes, she hadn't been allowed inside of Lucius's room while Dr. Larazeo performed the healing spells. Daphne had been allowed inside every half an hour, to check on Lucius's condition. Every time she'd returned with news of his approving condition.  
  
At long last, Selina had been allowed to go in and tend to Lucius. When he'd called out her name, she'd felt a stab of anger, for all the trouble she'd caused him. And then he'd gone and apologized for frightening her so badly, and all her anger had evaporated. Selina had chastised herself, of course, for becoming so weak towards him, but then Lucius had began asking about his condition, and she'd been distracted.   
  
But now she had time to think about everything. How well things were going with Lucius, how strange he was acting around her, how sure Daphne seemed that they would both end up together. Things were brewing, Selina was sure, that no one was telling her about. Everyone was keeping closely guarded secrets.  
  
_'Let's see how long they last,'_ Selina thought, before turning to the pressing matter of pulling back the covers.

Whatever secrets were being hidden within the walls of the Italian villa, Selina had little time to ponder them in the following five days. When she wasn't watching over her husband's health, she was tending to some little chore or another. Daphne was horrified that a house guest was doing more work than she herself, but Selina always insisted that she contribute to the household in some sort of way.  
  
"My mother wouldn't have me being a freeloader," she always protested.  
  
One of the greatest things about the weeks, though, was that she got to know Lucius on a new level. The suave, gentlemanly behavior that had unnerved her at first became the norm. Slowly, but finally, she came to accept that even a cold bastard like Lucius Malfoy could change, if he chose to.  
  
One evening, when Lucius was permitted to walk about again, they began to talk of their childhoods. Lucius said little, and admitted, quite reservedly, that his younger years were unpleasant ones. "I was not the man I am today," he told his young wife. "I had many ideas of my own; ideas that have sprouted into entire belief systems."  
  
Selina could only guess what he meant by that. She was glad when he asked of her younger years, for she knew many stories that would bring a glad smile to his face. Indeed, tales of Serendipity's alone were enough to strike his fancy.  
  
"You say you met Ms. Bryce on the boat there," he murmured. "But surely she wasn't the only one you could have made friends with."  
  
Selina gave a soft, cheery smile. "There were four other girls in our class. In some classes there were only three. It was the sort of school that was very exclusive. My father's family has attended it since the beginning, though, so getting in is a givens."  
  
"And what of these other four girls? You've never made mention of them."  
  
"Well, there was Georgiana Soonray. She was a loner, but only by choice. She was a sweet kid; I think she lives in California now. There was a pair of cousins, Ilona and Sonia Gresham, and lastly, the only other one I was remotely close to, Sheila Mardone." Selina rotated her arms. "She does archaeological work, or maybe anthropological. Something decidedly boring where you dig up old things. She travels the world, though, so that counts for something."  
  
"Interesting. Lucifer used to have ambitions of becoming an archeologist. Then he found out that not many women fancy archaeologists, and he decided to settle for being my rich, playboy little brother." Then, more sensitively, "What did your sister do for a living?"  
  
Selina sighed. "She bought artwork for this major gallery in San Francisco. The owner was some really, really rich warlock. Syd never gave us too many details, though. I don't think she wanted any of us showing up in San Francisco and hunting her down." Selina shrugged. "Sydney was never into family. She wouldn't even bring her boyfriend home. I only met him once when I when she came to this alumni brunch at Serendipity's."  
  
"If it makes you feel any better, Lucifer has never introduced me to any of his girlfriends."  
  
Lucius laid his hand on Selina's shoulder then. His fingers tightened slightly, giving off the impression that he was about to give her a comforting squeeze, but then he pulled her closer, for an "around-the- shoulders" hug. The gesture surprised Selina, but she didn't object or pull away. She was learning how to enjoy her husband's affections. It wasn't so much that he showered her with his affections-no, he knew that she'd hate that-but that he gave her a respectfully sweet sprinkle.  
  
"Thanks," she mumbled.  
  
"You're welcome," he replied.  
  
And so it came to be that Selina and Lucius Malfoy—she'd resigned herself to going by her married name, with the exception that she added a J. to her signature—came to be something more than friends but less than significant others. Selina had a daunting feeling of hovering just past the brink of normal friendship, but being totally unprepared to progress forward into the territory of true matrimonial bliss. Being caught in a limbo was never very much fun, but Selina had no idea how she and Lucius could ever move forward. Her uneasy feelings were only worsened when, while dining in his room one evening, Lucius mentioned that he wanted to take her for a small stroll after they were finished eating.  
  
"What? Where to?" Selina asked.  
  
"To that large building behind the villa. Do you know the one?"  
  
Selina started. "You don't mean that rundown wooden thing, do you? It's a fire hazard!"  
  
Lucius set down his glass of wine. It rather impressed Selina that her husband drank wine. All of her previous boyfriends had been proud beer hounds. "Would you trust me on this one?" he asked solemnly.  
  
Selina decided to go on her husband's judgment. "If you really want to," she mumbled. "Let me go fetch my cloak."  
  
Lucius rose with her. Grabbing his own cloak he said, "No, use mine. I'll grab another one from my bedroom, and we can be off in a few minutes."  
  
Selina nodded and clasped Lucius's cloak around her neck. On impulse she lifted a piece of the expensive fabric to her nose and inhaled. It smelled faintly of pinewood, probably from the ornate wardrobe that furnished his bedroom. Selina had an inexplicable desire to smell the actual man, to see if he too smelled like pine. Luckily she was able to retrain the desire when her husband strolled in the next minute.  
  
"Are you bundled up?" she asked.  
  
"I'll be warm enough," he replied, and they were off.

**BBB**

The cold outside was nipping but far from a bite. It was chilly enough to make Selina draw the cloak tightly around her body, but not cold enough to make her not enjoy the scenery. "It's glorious out here," she said.  
  
Frost had painted intricate designs on the back lawn of the villa. As she and Lucius made her way to the rundown wooden building, she tried not to step on any of them. When Lucius noticed what she was doing he copied her footsteps, and they made their way towards the building a little slower. It allowed them time for conversation, though.  
  
"It is quite lovely," Lucius agreed. "I don't often take the time to look at nature, though."  
  
"That doesn't surprise me," Selina laughed. "You're a very serious man, Lucius."  
  
"Like winter itself," the accused replied.  
  
"If you say so," Selina said. "I'd rather like to think myself a summer."  
  
"No," Lucius disagreed. "Your hair reminds me too much of the leaves in fall; you are a true autumn." By that time they had reached the building. Lucius produced a key from his pocket and stuck it in the lock that had together two weathered, rotting doors. He pushed them open and said, "Here we are."  
  
Selina wanted to gasp, but she was too shocked to do so. She wanted to speak, but she didn't know what she could say. All she could do was stare at the scene in front of her.  
  
It wasn't so much what was in the room; in fact, as furniture went, things were pretty sparse. There was a long, banquet style table against one wall, but nothing on it. Two doors, which presumably led to two separate changing rooms, stood on the other side. In the middle of the whole room though, the crowning addition, Selina was sure, was a gigantic, oblong pool. It was lit from underwater enchantments, and two sets of steps on opposite ends of the pool descended into the shallower areas.  
  
What got to Selina was the Romanesque style in which the room had been decorated. In each corner there was a thick, marble column and on two windowless wall hung tapestries depicting the woeful story of Romulus and Remus. The pool floor was tiled much like a Roman mosaic, and the ceiling bore a painting of the mighty Jupiter and his queen, Juno. The lesser gods and goddesses, like Mars and Venus and their son, Eros, flitted about the corners.  
  
When did Selina find something to say, it was, "But you can't swim."  
  
Lucius stared. "That's all you have to say?" he asked. "That I can't swim?"  
  
Selina nodded. She felt quite stupid now, having heard the words spill from her mouth and finding them far from her liking. In an attempt to save herself she answered, "Well, what else would we do in here but swim? It's reasonable deduction that you don't want to sit around and stare at the art."  
  
"Actually, yes, that's exactly what I had in mind."  
  
Selina felt utterly moronic. Here she was, babbling on about him not being able to swim, and all he wanted to do was look at the artwork. "Well, I guess, if you want-I mean, I could teach you to swim."  
  
The offer surprised the both of them, but Lucius decidedly more. His gray eyes went wide, and even after the surprise wore away, they staid wide. The look didn't suit him at all. "Do you mean it?" he asked.  
  
"Are you accepting?" she countered.  
  
"If you're willing. We have, what, three more days here? I'm a quick learner. Even teaching me to doggy-paddle would be an improvement." Lucius raised a fair eyebrow. "Would you be up for it? I'm sure we can find bathing suits in the changing rooms. And, before you go protesting that Andrea would mind us borrowing her clothes like this, she wouldn't; I asked her before coming out."  
  
"Then you were planning this." Selina had meant it as a question, but it came out as a statement.  
  
"Rather, something along the lines of swimming. There's a sauna and a Jacuzzi in the back room; we could have relaxed in those places." Lucius motioned to the rooms. "If you would...?"  
  
Selina wanted to groan. Like or not, she was going to teach her husband how to swim. As much as Lucius assured her that he was a quick learner, she knew him well enough to know that he'd be a temperamental learner too. If she hadn't been so worried about jeopardizing their blooming _"friendship"_ Selina would have called him on it. Instead she told him, "Fine. Let me go change."  
  
"I will too," Lucius replied. He strutted off to one of the changing room doors, and Selina slunk towards the other.  
  
Once inside, and having seen her new bathing suit, Selina did groan. "Unbelievable," she muttered. "That woman,"—clearly she meant Daphne—"is fucking unbelievable." She glared at the bikini her hostess had laid out for her and tried to count the number of ways it displeased her.  
  
_It was black.  
  
The tiny triangles held together didn't fool her; they weren't about to cover any of the necessary places.  
  
And, after observing the bottom half with more shrewdness:_ **Is that a thong??**  
  
"Oh, oh, oh!" Selina knew full well how Lucius would leer at her when she stepped out of the dressing room. She knew full well that she didn't want to deal with that. Her mind humored the possibility of swimming in her robes, but decided against it, because Lucius would probably want some explanation as to why. And hell, it wasn't as if she had anything to hide...  
  
Selina looked at her presently clothed body in the mirror. _'They say that if you've got it, flaunt it,'_ her inner voice, which sounded very much like Riley, purred, _'and honey, have you ever got it.'_  
  
So, with her mind made up, Selina shed her robe and undergarments, then slipped into the black bikini. Without pausing to look in the mirror—seeing herself in such a skimpy getup surely would have made her change her mind—Selina flung open the door and flung herself out. Coincidently, Lucius had just finished changing as well, though he stepped out with a bit more reserve. When the couple saw each other, they both stared.  
  
Lucius's bathing suit was some European form of a Speedo. The material fit him like a second skin—it was, of course, colored Slytherin green—and it looked as though Lucius had stuffed himself into it. The high-cut bathing suit looked tight to the point of painfulness. Selina couldn't help but notice that her husband's look of shame turned to one of aroused interest when he saw her getup.  
  
_'Remember,'_ Selina told herself reassuringly, _'no matter what, you're only friends. He's just a man; he can't help it if he's a little aroused...Friends can be turned on by other friends_.'  
  
Even as she thought it, Selina knew it sounded stupid. Friends didn't give each other once-overs. Friends didn't lick their lips if they were only anticipating a swimming lesson. She decided to ignore Lucius's odd behavior and just jump into the lesson, and also, the pool.  
  
"Come on! Let's get in!" Selina ran and dove into the pool before any further embarrassment could be caused to either parties. She torpedoed underwater for a good five yards, then surfaced a third of the way down the pool. "Join me!" she beckoned to the reluctant Malfoy patriarch.  
  
"If you insist," Lucius muttered. Forcing himself to stick one strong, pale leg out in front of the other, he made it to the pool's steps. With the air of someone very against getting themselves wet, he eased into the calm, still waters. He walked onward until the bottom half of his body was underwater, and he lean torso was covered in droplets of water. It was his turn to beckon his spouse, all the while saying, "It's bloody freezing in this pool."  
  
"Stop your whining," Selina ordered as she glided up to her husband. Due to their height differences, while the water only reached Lucius's naval, it came all the way up to Selina's breasts. The two globes bounced like buoys in the water, and another look of manly interest crossed Lucius's face. Rather uncomfortable with the way things were going, Selina began to mutter about how swimming was like a hidden instinct coded into everyone. "It's how people know how to do the doggy-paddle and how you never forget how to ride a bike; things this second-nature are fairly easy to learn."  
  
Lucius nodded and shifted his gaze from breasts to moving mouth. After listening to Selina's instructions and watching her movements, he felt ready to give the whole doggy-paddle thing (however undignified he might find it) a try. Much to his embarrassment, instead of his second nature instinct kicking in, he floundered about helplessly. A combination of humiliation and unfulfilled desires and a general contempt inspired him to slam his fist into the water several times, further humiliating him and covering Selina in a shower of spray.  
  
"Sorry," he muttered.  
  
Selina only said, "I didn't say it was going to be easy." She kicked off from the bottom of the pool and swam gracefully through the water towards Lucius. With the decision to screw the whole _"friends don't touch each other"_ worries in mind she wrapped her rounded arms around Lucius's waist and told him, "You're getting too tense, putting too much thought into a simple thing."  
  
"Simple for you," Lucius snapped, though his temper was softened by the creamy arms around his waist, and the firm breasts pressed into his back. He could feel two hard nubbins making circular motions as Selina demonstrated the proper way to move his arms.  
  
"Now you try," Selina said, and after kicking and paddling his way two yards down the pool, Lucius turned around to see that Selina's nipples were indeed hard. They showed through her bikini's thin fabric, and suddenly Lucius realized that watching his young, pretty, pert-bodied wife prance around in a skimpy bathing suit was not the way to go.  
  
"Do you think that we've covered enough?" he asked hopefully.  
  
Selina, quite surprised by her own body's reactions to intimate contact with Lucius, nodded. "I'm staying behind for a few minutes," she said, but Lucius might not have heard her, because as soon as he had received her nod of agreement, he was out of the pool and towards the changing room, the muscles of his back rolling smoothly. Only seconds later he dashed out the door, imploring her to send news to him when she returned to the villa.  
  
_'That man...'_ Selina thought, but she could not finish the phrase, for she too was beginning to act strangely.

**BBB**

_'No man my age,'_ Lucius thought angrily, _'should be able to get this aroused. Not even about his own young, lithe, pert, bouncy,'_—oh, and did she ever bounce in certain areas—_'wife.'_  
  
Well, there was only one way to deal with this problem. Lucius unzipped his pants and allowed his hands to dip downward...

** BBB**

Thirty minutes later, when Selina slunk into the room to alert her husband to her return, she was none the wiser to the acts that had been carried out in his bedroom just moments before. After scribbling down a quick note- Lucius, got back half-an-hour later, you were asleep, see you in the morning, Selina-the young redhead returned to her own room. Her eyes were no sooner closed than a stirring in the realm beyond took place. A slight frown crossed the pretty face as something ghosted over her dream-state mind, and a whispering phrase rolled in one ear and out the other.  
  
_'Hide in Britain...Hide in Italy...I'll find you anywhere you run...'_

**BBB**  
  
Swimming lessons continued without any more great excitement. The next night Lucius—the man was, indeed, as he had promised, a quick learner—progressed to a sloppy freestyle, and the night after that, he learned to do the opposite: the backstroke. Each night the bathing suits got tighter and tighter, too. One night, the night Lucius was slated to learn the backstroke, and the last night that they were to stay at the villa, the Malfoys stepped into the changing rooms to find that there were no bathing suits at all.  
  
Lucius was the first to work up the courage to venture out of the changing room, buck naked. After it, it wasn't as though he had anything to hide; and those tight bathing suits had been rather too confining! Selina stepped out moments later. She too had opted to go swimming in the buff. When they saw each other they did their best not to stare. Lucius nodded quickly to his wife, and then watched as she dove in gracefully.  
  
"Come on," Selina said. Her cheeks were flush; her eyes were still able to meet his, but it was with a forced dignity that she did so. "Let's work on the breaststroke. You remember that, don't you?"  
  
"I do."  
  
Lucius made the position in the water, pressing his legs together and then using the muscles in them to launch himself forward through the water. At the same time he put his hands together, and then pushed them away from one another, scooping the water out of the way. He repeated the motions all the way down to the other side of the pool with ease; Selina knew that the breaststroke was Lucius's strong suit, most likely because it was so graceful. She felt only slightly chagrined because when Lucius moved like that, it was harder to look at his posture than it was other, more obvious things.  
  
Her husband was a handsome man. She'd resigned herself to admitting that. By admitting that he was handsome, Selina had reasoned the night before, she allowed herself not to confuse his handsomeness and the feelings it thusly provoked for anything stronger than a light, natural attraction. Natural attraction was to be expected; they were married after all, and now that their relationship was on better grounds, she spent less time picking out his bad attributes and more time picking up on his good ones.  
  
It would do no good to their friendship any good to try and place these feelings as any more, Selina always told herself. Why would she ever want to, anyways? Things were going just fine, as long as she was concerned. Perhaps it was only the Italian air affecting her thoughts...Or maybe the shrinking bathing suits.  
  
Whatever it was, it definitely wasn't love!  
  
"Something on your mind, Selina?"  
  
Her husband's call came from across the pool. He was standing directly across from her, his lean arms crossed against his chest to emphasize his ropelike muscles. The water blurred everything below his waistline, and Selina hoped the same could be said of everything below her neck.  
  
"No. Nothing," Selina lied.  
  
Lucius kept his arms at his chest. "What should we try next? I am sure that I still have a few sloppy ends."  
  
Selina nodded. "Try the backstroke. You keep going under when you try that one. Try keeping your stomach upwards."  
  
Lucius fell on his back without another question. He moved his arms back and forth in propeller motions, and within a minute his body had glided up to Selina's. Now the water made their privates all too clear. Selina had a brief moment's glance down her husband's streamline body before he stood up in the water and had a good look down at her own.  
  
"Better?" he asked.  
  
"Much," she confirmed.  
  
"I am glad. Now maybe we could...relax a bit?"  
  
Selina noticed the pause in his choice of words and wondered if he did so out of caution not to offend her or to find the word that would carry the most innuendo. To make it appear as though she didn't care either way, she said, "Of course. Have at it."  
  
Lucius didn't dive in—he wasn't that confident in the water yet—but he did make a good show of splashing around. He went so far as to let his long hair out of its ponytail. The silver-blonde strands clung to his shoulders and the top of his back.  
  
"Damn sexy, aren't I?" he called fifteen minutes later. "Don't know how you can resist me."  
  
Selina edged slowly backwards until her body hit the edge of the pool. She gave him a strained grin and replied, "I'm managing just fine."  
  
Lucius crouched down in the water so that he was level with her. "Are you sure about that one?" he asked. It was a playful, bantering question, but it made Selina's skin prickle.  
  
"I am," she said. Then she pulled herself out of the pool, careful to turn around and face her husband as soon as possible. With her hands over her breasts and lower regions, she told him, "I'm changing. Got to finish packing, and all that."  
  
In a quick, languid motion Lucius launched himself across the pool. It surprised Selina how fast he could move, and it surprised her even more that he'd stepped out of the pool to grab her arm gently. "It was not my intention to make you uncomfortable," he said softly.  
  
"I know." Selina dropped her arms, if only to prove that she wasn't rigid with tension.  
  
"Then do not leave on my account," he implored. "If you are really so uncomfortable, then I'll be the one to depart."  
  
"No," Selina said. "To be honest, I'd hate to be alone in this place. It'd give me the willies."  
  
"I see. Then why do either of us have to leave?"  
  
"Because," Selina replied, ever the voice of reason. "we're both naked, and it's getting rather embarrassing. Because it's almost ten in the night, and we leave tomorrow at seven in the morning. Because," she added, "we're only friends. Nothing more, and nothing less."  
  
Her tone sent the same message that her words did: that nothing was about to happen-not now, not ever. Maybe she was reading too much into the situation, but she could have sworn that Lucius had suddenly looked abashed.  
  
_'This is for the best,'_ she thought as she scuffled off to the changing room. _'Too much too fast would be too big of a mistake. And Gods, these things I'm feeling--they aren't anything more than a series of light attractions.'_  
  
Selina repeated that over and over again, as she shuffled into the changing room and slipped into the magically summoned clothing. When she stepped out of the changing room, Lucius was nowhere to be seen. Gladly, she didn't run into him as she made the trek up the snowy lawn and back to the villa.  
  
_'It's for the best,'_ Selina told herself._ 'And not because I'm too afraid to take a risk.'_

__ **BBB**  
  
Lucius wondered why having his heart broken wasn't as painful as he'd thought it would be. Perhaps because he had known that he had never had a chance in the first place. But still, the throbbing in his chest had become surprisingly dull during the past few moments. So had the biting cold, which swirled around his bare legs with surprising alacrity. Such had been Lucius's state of mind that he had completely forgotten to put on trousers under his stylish black robe. His socks were missing in action, too, and it was a wonder that he'd managed to slip into his shoes.  
  
After wandering in a haphazard pattern back to the villa, Lucius collapsed in the doorway. What reason did he have to go inside, if Selina was always going to see him as a friend? It was better when they were at each others neck, he thought; at least then he hadn't had to pretend that being on platonic terms was alright.  
  
Before he had the chance to catch frostbite, though, a short maid poked her head out and asked him something in Italian. Making no effort to encourage the young filly, Lucius staid where he was. The girl, obviously afraid for the rich guest's sanity, had rushed to fetch an English speaking member of the household. A plump woman, from a country Lucius could not identify, was the answer.  
  
"Sir Malfoy? Please, come inside. Your wife's been asking for you; she says you need to get your things packed."  
  
Lucius looked up. "Well, if Selina so wishes it," he muttered, then stumbled inside. The plump woman backed away from the Englishman, staying in his presence only long enough to determine that he wasn't drunk or suicidal. Moments later, after Lucius had made it up the stairs, Miss Daphne appeared.  
  
"Was he quite alright?" she asked.  
  
"The woman came in half-an-hour ago. She was as troubled as he," came the reply.  
  
Daphne buffed her nails on the front of her dress and then produced an apple from her sleeve. "Love is a tricky game, is it not? Let's hope I've played it well for those two. Whatever the case, this is all partially my fault. I've got to go set things straight, then." And she pranced off to Selina's room.

**BBB**

Selina was folding the last of her robes when Daphne entered the room. Selina wasn't that surprised; she and Lucius were leaving early the next morning, and it would be best to get the formal pleasantries out of the way so that Daphne didn't rouse herself at the crack of dawn. When Daphne settled herself on the bed, shoving Selina's bag out of the way in the process, Selina began to suspect that Daphne's intentions were much more personal.  
  
"Lucius stumbled in about ten minutes ago," Daphne began, but Selina cut her off as quickly as possible.  
  
"I'm glad that he's in, but I really must get pack-"  
  
"Selina? Please, just listen." Daphne took Selina's pale hands in her own. "I'm going to try to say this with as little sugar glazing as possible, but my message is rather sickly sweet, so bear with me...My husband, in the beginning, was everything that Lucius must have been to you in your beginning. Smarmy, forceful, boorish! I hated him."  
  
"Lucius and I are doing better now, so-"  
  
"Eventually Dante and I got better at the marriage deal, too. He became more understanding of my needs, and I became more understanding of his gruff mannerisms. We got to the point where...Where we were about to fall in love." Daphne put a hand to her cheek, smiled warmly, and continued. "But I was afraid that falling in love with him would just be giving in. I thought that if I finally consented to being his wife fully, I'd cease to become the person I had been when I first married him. Does this make sense to you? Does it sound familiar?"  
  
Selina remained sullenly quiet. "It might," she admitted finally.  
  
"Good. But after a while, it became blaringly apparent the toll that my fears were having on my husband. We weren't madly in love at the time, but we were getting that, and me digging in my heels wasn't helping us a bit. Because I denied my feelings, Dante thought that his didn't matter at all.  
  
"I'm not telling this story like it deserves to be told; if I thought we had time, I would have called upon Andrea to better explain it to your. The point came where it was unbearable to my husband to be in the same room as me, because he was so confused about his feelings. Eventually I had to come to terms with myself, and the woman I'd evolved into, so that I could save both of us. Eventually I had to admit that maybe love was the best path for us, and eventually I had to give up my fears."  
  
Selina looked down at her lap. "What you said...It wasn't said well, but I understood it all the same."  
  
Daphne nodded. "I'm glad. Do you understand why I've come to tell the story to you?"  
  
"Yes. I gather that you want me to go in there and fall madly in love with my husband."  
  
"Give it a chance, love. You're too young to give up on love."  
  
Selina bit her lip but stopped a moment before she would have drawn blood. "I cannot make myself love him. I cannot make myself feel."  
  
"Would you really be forcing a feeling upon yourself?"  
  
Selina shuddered. She wasn't sure anymore. She told Daphne this.  
  
"Then what's the harm," her hostess asked, "of finding out?"  
  
Selina stood. That was a challenge she couldn't let pass. Almost as a passing thought, one she received as she was walking out of the room, she asked, "Where is your husband?"  
  
Daphne's reply came, "Dante never tells me where he goes on occasions like these. He's not frolicking with some twenty-something bimbo, I don't think, and he's not in peril, so I never ask. He'll return soon, and for a while he'll be content with me...But then he'll disappear again for a month or so. I think this is one of the things my withholding love did to him; he is never content to just be!"

**BBB**

Lucius lay on his bed, his long body prone to the ceiling. He was much warmer now; his senses were returning too. He realized the idiocy of wandering around in the cold, now. How would Selina have reacted if her husband had turned up dead on the morning of their return to their home? For that matter, what would anyone have said? Draco couldn't be led to believe that his father had lost his sanity.  
  
There was a soft knock at the door, but the person stopped quickly, as if they regretted alerting him to their presence. Whoever it was, they couldn't have been to afraid of the snarling Englishman, because a second later they let themselves in. A slight fragrance hit Lucius's nose, and he rolled over to face his wife.  
  
"I'll pack soon," he promised.  
  
Selina sat on the bed. Her hands were fidgeting, and her tongue stumbled to find the right words. Her temporary awkwardness allowed Lucius to gain some confidence, and he sat up, careful not to display his still-bare legs.  
  
"It isn't the packing I'm here about," Selina finally managed to say. By then her cheeks were tinted pink.  
  
_'Thank God she doesn't blush like a Weasley,'_ her husband thought.  
  
"I wanted to see something," she added.  
  
"That I made it back alive?" Lucius queried.  
  
"No." Selina shook her head, perhaps a little too hard for the occasion. She shifted on the bed, so that she was closer to him.  
  
"Then what the hell did you want to see?"  
  
The question must have been the perfect opener for what Selina did next. "I wanted to see if I could do this."  
  
And then she leaned over and kissed him.  
  
Selina heard a surprised rumble resonate from Lucius. His eyes were wide open, and the crossed in an attempt to look down his nose at their locked lips. It wasn't long, though, until his primal instincts kicked in, and then Selina was the one being kissed. Minutes later, when the first of them emerged for air, Lucius gave her a long, hard look.  
  
"Friends," he told her, "don't kiss each other. Not like that."  
  
Selina's chest was heaving, both from a lack of breath and a lack of reserve. The kiss, which she'd forced herself to perform, hadn't been anything like she'd thought it would be. Instead of the rough, impassionate kisses of their previous encounters, the kiss she'd just shared with Lucius had rocked her socks.  
  
"Oh," she whispered. "Oh, god."  
  
"If we're going to remain friends," her husband added, "we can't go fooling around like this."  
  
Selina had the feeling that he was laughing at her. Or at least, laughing at her to save face. She murmured, "Maybe, just maybe, I'm falling in love with you."  
  
That wiped the smirk off his long, pale face. His gray eyes lost their humor, and then they gained something much more...needy. "What's that?" he asked.  
  
Selina stared at him. "I don't know if I can repeat it," she gasped.  
  
He reached out and gripped her shoulders. He might have shaken her roughly, but surprise and shock held him back. "Do not joke with me!" he breathed. "Don't play games with me; the ones of this sort will do little to amuse me."  
  
Selina was trembling. "I'm might be falling in love with you," she whimpered.  
  
Lucius held her back at arm's length, then pulled her close to him. Like a man with a true knowledge of how to charm a lady, he kissed her eyes and cheeks and her nose. "It's alright," he purred. "I understand. I know."  
  
"What?" she managed to ask.  
  
Lucius's hold on her failed to cease, and if anything, he held on to her more tightly as he began to rock her back and forth. "Be calm," he ordered. She stilled against his chest. "I said that I know. I know how it feels to fall in love, but to be reserved and afraid of your feelings."  
  
Selina felt hopelessly confused. Lucius Malfoy, afraid of his feelings? Or even more absurd, afraid to be in love? She might have laughed, if only she could have found the breath to do so. It was impossible to find the breath to do anything when your husband was kissing your eyes as delicately as if you were made of china and twirling his fingers in your hair as if it were finer than strands of silk.  
  
"You say you may be falling in love?" Lucius felt her nod against his chest. "Well, I've already gone and fallen for you." He paused, choosing his words carefully, so that he could say them in the most characteristic and convincing fashion. "Christmas Eve, when you kissed me, I fell in love with you. Madly in love, I might add. All your stubbornness, all your feminine pride, all your determination to go against my will...It wasn't so much that I fell in love with your good qualities and forgave you your bad ones but that I embraced your good qualities and fell in love with your bad ones."  
  
Selina looked up at her husband only to find that his gray eyes were filled with a fierce love. She'd never believed that he was capable of such a selfless emotion, but the words that poured from his mouth were slowly beginning to convince her. "Go on," she pleaded. 'Go on so that I can gather myself enough to reply.'  
  
Lucius complied. "The next night I fired Arielle DeSanders because I'd fallen in love with you. She figured it out, from several of my actions, and went so far as to ridicule me for it. In retaliation I said even crueler things to her. That's when you came along, and she found a way to have her revenge by saying all those terrible lies. The rest you know."  
  
It was her turn to speak. Selina knew she couldn't hold off it any longer. But how could she explain how she felt when she was barely sure? Lucius knew that he loved her, and he'd worked up enough courage to tell her as much, so he deserved to have an honest answer. But she didn't want to hurt him! Oh, god, she didn't want to hurt him.  
  
"You're still unsure," Lucius murmured. Her silence seemed to have jarred him into realization.  
  
"I cannot make any promises of love, Lucius. I want to...I know that I want to love you. But Gods, it's so hard!" Selina let out a sob, but not a tear trickled from her eye. "If only I could be convinced of such a thing!"  
  
Lucius's muscles stiffened. "Perhaps," he said slowly, "you could be." There. He had said it. The risk was out on the table; he couldn't go back now.  
  
"How?" Selina asked. She felt his hand slide down to cup her right buttock.  
  
"Like this!" her husband breathed into her ear.  
  
Selina felt his fingers begin to work. They massaged her lightly, and, as a show of his respect, he didn't them any closer to her womanhood. Finally, after a long moment of consideration, she whispered, "Do it." Now she couldn't go back either!  
  
Lucius gave her one last sane look, and then he plunged them both over the "just friends" edge into chaos. No more words were said, and, between the two of them, not a rational thought was formed. As he laid her back on the bed and pulled the top of her robe off her pale shoulders Selina felt as though she were drowning in something big and wonderful and perhaps just a little dangerous. Lucius's fingers began tweaking previously uncharted places on her body, and soon her voice was rising with every stroke.  
  
"Say my name," he growled. "Say it!"  
  
Selina obeyed. Anything to keep him touching her there...and there...and, oh, gods, _**there!**_ "Lucius," she moaned.  
  
**"Louder!"**  
  
_"Lucius!"_  
  
**"Louder!"**  
  
Selina bucking and whimpering and barely coherent. "I can't remember!" she cried at last. "Can't remember you name! _Can't! Can't!_ _**CAN'T!**_"  
  
Lucius smirked and then decided that he could wait no longer to satisfy his own needs. He climbed atop her, wriggled out of his pants, and then exposed himself. He was bigger than Selina had remembered, but this time, when he slid into her, he fit perfectly.  
  
Halfway through their coupling Lucius murmured, "Have I convinced you yet?"  
  
Selina replied in a husky voice, "Yes."  
  
Lucius's stomach clenched, and he asked, "So?"  
  
"I'm not falling in love with you, Lucius," Selina purred.  
  
His heart stopped for a moment and then began to beat again, very rapidly. "What?" he croaked. He felt like dying, but he kept repeating his thrusting motions.  
  
"I'm not falling in love with you," Selina replied. "I'm already in love."  
  
Selina kissed him. He kissed her. If a Malfoy could ever be in bliss, then that was so with Lucius Malfoy.


	16. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I've said it before, I'll say it again. I do not own anyone in the Harry Potter realm. That includes Draco and Lucius Malfoy (of course!) Those two, and all things created in the H.P. universe, are owned by J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Books, Warner Bros., and several other large companies. No money is being made off this story.**

**Disclaimer Two: Though I do not have rights over the Malfoy men (Draco and Lucius) I _did_ create their leading ladies: Selina, Riley, and Pamela. I also created the situations in this story. Please, if you want to mess around with any of them, ask first.**

_A/N: Da-dada-da! Fifteenth chapter...Sorry if it was a little more than a few days coming. It's here now, so read and enjoy!!! Oh, and P.S. The _**BBB**_ stills stands for a break in the scene...Just so you know!_

__

** BBB**

__

_"Oh...my...God."_ Selina lay back on her husband's bed. There were silk pillows—Merlin, where had all those pillows come from?—and they rubbed luxuriously against Selina's bare skin.  
  
Beside her Lucius was breathing deeply through his nose. He turned his head slightly to the left to observe his wife for a moment, and then he rolled over again. Gods, but he'd be damned if he wasn't married to the sexiest witch in Europe. All the English Roses of the world be screwed over; they had nothing on his fierily beautiful Selina.  
  
"It **was** bloody good," he muttered to her.  
  
Selina kissed his tiredly on the cheek. "You're amazing," she whispered. Her sleepiness, which was setting in with the afterglow, made her Southern drawl sound droopy and serene.  
  
"You're amazing," Lucius countered. Oh, Gods, he loved her so much; to make sure that she knew his feelings he ran a pale hand down the right side of her torso. She shivered delightedly. "Beautiful, brainy...You'll be the envy of every witch imaginable."  
  
Selina blushed. "No, I won't," she retorted. "Too many freckles!"  
  
"And in the most interesting places," her husband murmured. His wife blushed even more; he laughed and kissed her. "You know, we don't have to go home. We could have a honeymoon. Merlin knows I owe you one."  
  
Selina perked. "Really? A honeymoon? I thought that honeymoons were a trivial waste of time."  
  
Lucius stroked her bare breast. Selina arched to his touch and waited for his reply. "Not when you're with the woman of your heart's desire," Lucius murmured into her ear.  
  
Selina gasped; his fingers were tracing patterns down her belly. "I thought Malfoys didn't have hearts."  
  
"Not all Malfoys had you for a spouse." Lucius winced. "Am I being too cliché?"  
  
"Of course," Selina replied. "But I like it. Cliché work for you, Lucius."  
  
Her husband smirked. "My dear, _**everything**_ works for me."

**** **BBB**   
  
The next morning Selina and Lucius Malfoy awoke with the rising sun streaming through their windows. Quietly they packed their remaining things, and then Selina wrote a long note to the lady of the house.  
  
_"To my dear friend Daphne:  
  
Thank you for the kindnesses you have shown my husband and I. We are very much in love with each other now; we would never have made it this far if it weren't for you and Andrea. We leave now not for Malfoy Manor but for Lucius's residence in Venice. Then it's off to a flat in Florence, a château in Crete—perhaps we will make it to his penthouse in Paris. Wherever I desire to go, he tells me. I believe that if I asked him to whisk me off to the moon he would do it. I have never known this gentle, loving side of Lucius; it is good to know it exists. Again, Daphne, I thank you for your kindness. It means the world to us both that you would not give up on us as a united couple.  
  
All my love,  
  
Selina J. Malfoy (and Lucius, as well)"  
_  
After leaving the note in the hand of a trusted maid, Selina and Lucius climbed into their carriage. The ride was fast-paced and the scenery went by too rapidly for Selina to discern what was on the outside of the carriage, but when they stepped out of the carriage, she was in an icy wonderland. Beside her Lucius cursed.  
  
"Damn bloody horses. Stupid beasts! This isn't at all Venice!" His anger was apparent on his handsome face. "From the looks of it I'd say we were in the Borg."  
  
"The what?" Selina asked.  
  
Lucius looked down at her. His gaze softened. Pointing to the small town before him he repeated the name of the place. "The Borg. It's a resort town for the richer occupants of magical society."  
  
Selina took this to mean, "It's very exclusive."  
  
Lucius continued to explain, "The Borg has a good deal of things to do, and many young witches would give their eyes to honeymoon here...But still, it's no Venice."  
  
Selina looked at arches that must have been the entrance to the city. They were carved in great detail out of ice; they looked at though they would never melt. Though her heart had been yearning to see the history of Venice she couldn't bear to spend another day riding about in the carriage. She told her husband, "This will be perfect."  
  
His smile was without its usual haughtiness. "We will stay in the honeymoon suite of the most expensive hotel. I will make love to you all night, and by day we will experience the excursions that make this place so famous."  
  
Selina blushed, but then she remembered that after what she did the night before, she would never have to blush in her husband's presence. He held out his arm, presumably so that she could link her own into his, and once she joined them, they set off towards the snow covered town.

**BBB**  
  
The week that henceforth commenced was pure bliss. As Lucius had said, by day they explored the ice mazes and world-class bakeries that made the Borg so appealing. By night, they made love. Lucius never let her forget how adored she was. Every morning she awoke with treatment fit for a queen, and every night, when she dozed off in her husband's arms, she slept on the finest silk bedclothes.  
  
Such bliss was not meant to last, though. Lucius might have loved her, but, being a Malfoy, he had considerable limitations. After a week and three days he told her that business would be withering without him to oversee the finances. The next day, while eating honey and porridge, he went so far as to say that he missed the manor, where there were no human servants, only meek and humble house-elves. On the fifth day, before he could begin to lament on how much more beautiful Britain was in the wintertime, Selina mentioned that she too missed home; within hours they were packed and headed back to Malfoy Manor. Their carriage came to a rest in front of the Wiltshire estate at just past midnight. They had arrived without any notice, and so neither Lucius nor Selina was surprised when no one rushed out to greet them. Once inside the manor (and still undetected) Lucius asked Selina where she would prefer to sleep from now on.  
  
"I beg your pardon?" Selina had been wondering how Pamela and Riley were, and so her mind was not totally focused on the question.  
  
"Where would you like to sleep from now on?" Lucius asked. "In your old room, with me joining you? In my room, with you joining me? Or would you prefer to sleep alone and keep our new..._situation_...to yourself?"  
  
Selina thought a moment, weighing each pro and con against each other. "I'd like to move into your rooms," she answered, "but tonight, just until I can talk with Riley and Pamela, I'd like to sleep in my own apartments."  
  
"Do you wish me to walk you to your rooms?"  
  
Selina shook her head. "No. I'll be fine. I could use a little stroll, after today."  
  
In the darkness she saw his blonde head bow. "Then goodnight, _mi amor_." He left without even kissing her. Selina thought nothing of it, though; she was slowly beginning to remember her old life, the one in which she was unhappy. Her crups, Artemis and Apollo, her rivalries with Ms. Laverne, and her blossiming friendship with Pamela.   
  
_'How in the hell will I explain all this to them?'_ Selina wondered. It wasn't likely that Riley would be overly happy for her; she'd never like Lucius, no matter how good he was to her. Selina could imagine that Pamela would be a little pleased, but also a little nervous. _'She's seen the damage Lucius can do.'_  
  
When Selina reached her rooms, she eased the door open quietly. Pamela was probably asleep, and it would scare the life out of her if she thought someone was breaking in. No matter how quietly she had decided to enter, though, Selina's return was announced by both Artemis and Apollo. The crups--they had grown to their full size in their mistress's absence--came flying out of the parlor and pinned Selina to the door. Moments later Pamela came flying into the atrium-shaped entry hall. Her reddish-blonde hair was limp around her shoulder, but her entire body perked up when she saw who it was.  
  
"Selina?" she asked in a disbelieving voice. "Merlin almighty! You look radiant!"  
  
Selina and Pamela embraced. When Selina pulled away she could see, even in the darkness, that her maidservant was glad she had returned. Artemis and Apollo danced about their feet as the two friends moved into the library. Pamela filled in Selina on the trivial details of her three-month absence from the manor.  
  
"For the most part these furry rascals and I explored the estate. Riley invited me over for dinner a good deal of the time, and I've been helping her set up shop."  
  
Selina barely felt a sudden wave of guilt. "Oh, damn! She opens the cafe in a month, right? I promised I'd help!"  
  
Pamela grinned. "Still can. We've squared away everything furniture-wise, but she hasn't thought of a name yet. And there's a bunch of different foods that's she's trying out. She'll need all the help she can get."  
  
Selina nodded. "I'll help in any way I can."  
  
Then Pamela asked, "So, enough about me and the boring old manor—how was vacationing with Mr. Malfoy?"  
  
Selina controlled her face enough so that no emotion could be gleamed. In a level tone she proceeded to say, "It's very complicated."  
  
Pamela seemed genuinely interested. "Complicated? How so?"  
  
Selina regretted her choice of words. "Well, I suppose that there are two ways of looking at what happened. The relationship I now have with Lucius is either very, very complicated or very, very simple."  
  
"What's your relationship with him?" Pamela asked.  
  
Selina swallowed. "I love him."  
  
Pamela didn't seem too surprised. "Is that all? Well, that's very, very simple. To be expected, even. You two went on a trip, you were hurt, he was your rescuer, you fell in love." She paused. "He knows, right? And loves you back?"  
  
Selina nodded. "Since Christmas Eve, he told me."  
  
Pamela grinned. "Well, like I said, it's to be expected. Cherished, even." Her grin faltered suddenly. "But Riley—she might see it as complicated. She's thankful that Lucius sprung you from the Lewis Ludwig home, but she still hasn't warmed to him."  
  
"So you two did help him! I thought that he'd just been blowing his own horn!"  
  
Pamela shook her head. "No, he wasn't. After a while we decided that the Lewis Ludwig home wasn't helping you at all, so Riley decided to make it appear that Mr. Malfoy had broken free and tied me up. That way neither of us would be blamed for telling him where they were hiding you."  
  
"Smart plan," Selina commented. "And I'm very grateful for it. How did Lucifer and Dionyza react to my escape?"  
  
"Oh, once you were gone they both knew there wasn't much they could've done. They moped a bit, maybe, but in the end Mr. Malfoy's brother, Mister Lucifer, stayed around long enough to send Draco back to school, and Dionyza stayed a few days after that, to make sure that the household was under proper management. Ms. Laverne's been taking an extended vacation in France as well, so mostly it's been me and the crups."  
  
Selina could tell that her friend had been lonely, and she couldn't help but feel a bit guilty for having so much fun while being gone. Softly she said, "I missed you and Riley both. Falling in love is all well and good, but nothing can make up for missing a friend."  
  
Pamela shrugged. "We missed you too, but I know that you and Mr. Malfoy both needed this."  
  
"It's too much to hope that Riley will see things the same way." Selina shook her head. "I'll owl her early in the morning. We can go visit her as soon as possible, perhaps for lunch. How does that sound?"  
  
Pamela smiled. "It sounds very well, Selina. But mightn't you want to get to bed? You've been traveling all day!"  
  
Selina stood, stretched, and agreed silently. "I can get my own nightclothes tonight," she assured Pamela. "You just go back to bed."  
  
Pamela didn't need to be told twice. Rapidly she exited the room for her own bedchamber. Within minutes every occupant in Selina's apartments was snoozing peacefully.

**BBB**  
  
"So," Riley said, in the voice of someone still in disbelief, "you've gone and fallen in love with Malfoy, have you?" Selina nodded from her uncomfortable parlor chair. She wished that Riley would smile or frown or laugh or curse, as long as she showed some emotional reaction. The placid, blank Riley before her was not the one she was accustomed to. "And he loves you back?"  
  
"He really does, Riley," Pamela interjected. "You should have seen him at breakfast this morning. He treated her like the Queen of Sheba! Better, even!"  
  
Riley brushed her hair back with her hands and gave a deep, over-emphasized sigh. "Well, I won't lie and say that I'm thrilled," she told her best friend, "but I'll admit that it's quite an improvement. As long as he treats you well...As long as you're sure he loves you...I'll keep my thoughts to myself."  
  
Selina suddenly wondered if Pamela had owled Riley earlier that morning to tell her to _'behave'_ politely towards Selina and her new relationship. It wasn't like Riley to allow something she obviously disliked to go on unchecked.  
  
_'Or,'_ Selina's subconscious whispered, _'she could just be trying to be happy for you! Riley loves you more than she hates Lucius!'_  
  
And just as suddenly as Selina had wondered about Riley's strange reaction, she felt ashamed. Of course Riley was just being kind! As crass as she could be at times, Riley had never failed to put Selina before her pride. Hate Lucius though she might, she still cared about Selina enough to make nice for her sake. Even so, to break the uncomfortable atmosphere, Selina suggested that they begin to make birthday plans for Riley.  
  
"You're turning twenty, after all," she reminded her friend. "You're leaving the teenage years behind for the young adult ones!"  
  
Riley shrugged. "Well, there's not much I can do. If I could do anything in the world, then I would go home for a bit, but the shop's about to open and I need to be here around the clock. I'd invite my family over here, but, like I said, my duties to my café come first, and I wouldn't be a proper hostess at all."  
  
"Sounds like the perfect birthday gift would be to take you to London and go clubbing," Selina said. "With all this work you are really going to need a night off."  
  
Riley snorted. "Depends. What's the drinking age here, Pamela?"  
  
"Eighteen."  
  
Riley's grin turned wolfish. "Really, now? In the USA the legal drinking age is twenty-one. I think you Brits have it down pat on this one." Turning to Selina she said, "Alright. We can drink. But whom do we drink with? You're an easy bet. You have a husband." Riley motioned to both herself and Pamela. "We are not as lucky."  
  
Selina considered this. Her final comment was, "There _**is**_ Lucifer."  
  
"No. Way. In. Hell." Riley's tone was dangerous and definite. "I will not lower my standards so much as to date a _Malfoy_."  
  
"I doubt Mr. Malfoy's brother would want much to do with a serving girl," Pamela murmured. It sounded like more of an excuse than anything.  
  
"Oh, damn," Selina groaned. "I don't know of any others. None of Lucius's friends would work out. Neither would his son's friends." Riley made a face of utter loathing. "And we can't have a birthday girl without a date..."  
  
Riley could see her friend's desperation. It took only a moment's thought to cause her to wave her hands and say, "You know, I've decided it doesn't matter. I'm a pretty thing. I'll pick up a guy in no time flat. Pamela, the same thing goes for you."  
  
Pamela looked unsure of this, but she nodded pleasantly. "I'm sure we will."  
  
Selina looked from one friend to another. They both seemed so confident of their abilities to hook a man. Surely it wouldn't be a selfish thing to bring along a guaranteed good date if the both of them had made a mutual decision. "If this is what you want, Riles," she said uncertainly.  
  
Riley gave her a winning smile. "I assure you, it is."  
  
Selina pushed aside her unease and gave in. "It's settled then! On the sixteenth of March the three of us, plus Lucius, will go to a bar and have a splendid time." As an afterthought she added, "He won't bother you, Riles. I promise."  
  
Riley hugged Selina. "You're the best," she said.  
  
"Yes, well, _The Best_ had better get going. There are a few birthday surprises that I've got to go and place if I want them to happen on time." Selina took and stretched her legs. She winked at Riley before saying a final goodbye and heading for the carriage.  
  
Pamela stood to follow her mistress when Riley caught her elbow. "Pamela," she whispered, "does he really treat her like a queen?"  
  
Pamela nodded. "He's really in love with her. Believe me, Riley, he is. He treats her better than a queen. To him she might as well be an empress."  
  
Riley rolled her eyes. "As long as it stays that way."

**BBB**  
  
It was March the sixteenth. Riley's birthday. And Lucius had been dragged along. As he sat at the bar, watching his wife and her two friends bounce around, he wondered how much longer he'd be made to endure hopping from club to club. Selina and Riley had refused to leave the manor— mind you, they had been dressed and made-up for at least two hours before they left—until the clock struck nine. Of course, once they did manage to get out of the house, no ordinary club would do. The limo drove by three clubs before Selina and Riley had jointly agreed on a dim looking one with a skinny, lone bouncer. They must have had some sort of magic insight, though, because inside the club the music was deafening and everyone was dancing.  
  
"All the best clubs," Selina had confided in her husband, "are charmed to look dank and dingy. Some clubs are really as pathetic as they look, but if you have a good eye, then you can spot the good ones a mile off."  
  
Lucius had never probed into his wife's pre-marital life before, but he had the urge to do so then. Obviously Selina and Riley had partied before. They had an impressive resilience and vibrant energy. _'What sort of bars do they have in Alabama?' _he was wondering, when someone jostled him and then cried-  
  
"Father?"  
  
Lucius did a double take and nearly gagged on his glass of wine. Standing before him, dressed in a black silk shirt, sleek slacks—Gods, that dragon skin belt was **his!**—and a ridiculously designed bowler-type hat, was his son. His _sixteen-year-old son_, who had, moments before, been knocking back hard Pumpkin Juice. His _sixteen-year-old son_, who was supposed to be in school, hundreds of miles away. His _sixteen-year-old son_, who, in light of current events, might not live to become his _seventeen-year-old son_!  
  
"What in Merlin's name are you doing here?" Lucius barked, regaining his voice with full force.  
  
In his defense, Draco did not quake. He did, however, have the sense to look the tiniest bit afraid of his father's wrath. "About the same thing you seem to be doing. Though I don't see Miss Selina you be here with a _'secretary'_?"  
  
Lucius had to resist the tempting idea of smacking his son. Not only had Draco jeered at him for his previous infidelities, but also he had implied that he was still committing adultery! And that he would have blackmailed him, his own father, if that had been the case! Malfoy pride aside, the boy was getting a decent whipping before he got him back to school.  
  
"Your stepmother is over there, with Ms. Bryce and Ms. Duraford. See them? Yes—right there! It just so happens to be Ms. Bryce's birthday, and Selina dragged me out for a night of celebration. But enough about my evening; I'm more interested in yours!"  
  
Draco thought for a moment and then replied with, "Marcus Flint owns a loft two blocks down. Invited some of the house quidditch team out for a night of boy's fun." The pale, lean boy paused. "Is it really Riley's birthday?" he asked.  
  
"Don't you dare buy her a present," Lucius snarled. "You're in enough trouble as it is!"  
  
Draco shrugged. Either he was very unconcerned about Lucius's apparent fury, or he was very much enamored with Ms. Bryce and didn't wish to break down in her presence, or he was just plain stupid. "I suppose. But, you know, we don't have to tell Dumbledore, of course."  
  
Lucius considered this for a moment. He didn't want Draco expelled; he didn't believe that the old buffoon wanted to expel him, either. Dumbledore was still stupid enough to think that Draco might be persuaded not to follow in his father's footsteps, and removing Draco permanently from Hogwarts could very well trigger an early joining to the Death Eaters. However, as much as Dumbledore was above expelling Draco, he wasn't below punishing him. If Draco were to be returned to his school with alcohol on his breath, apprehended at a bar, he might as well kiss his prefect's badge goodbye. And his captaincy on the Slytherin quidditch team? It would be as good as gone. Finally Lucius was forced to agree with his son.  
  
"No. I'll have to arrange something that will sneak you back onto the school grounds as quietly as possible."  
  
Draco, for the first time that night, looked a little unsure. "Not in the castle?" he questioned.  
  
Lucius shook his head. "Do not try your luck. If it weren't for this family's pride and for the fact that your position on the quidditch team might be challenged if you were apprehended then I would box your ears and leave you to find your own way back."  
  
"But father-"  
  
"Oh, God, Lucius! Is that Draco?"  
  
Lucius whirled around to find that Selina had crept up behind him. She looked as scrumptious as she had the moment they left the manor, and he cursed his son's stupidity once more. By the time he managed to get Draco back to Hogwarts then it would be far too late to make love to her. One more mark against Draco...  
  
"Draco, did Riley invite you?" Selina moved past her husband and hugged her stepson with her curvy pale arms. Draco made a face over his stepmother's shoulder, but one glance at his father's warning expression wiped the look from his features in a second.  
  
"No," he said, pushing Selina back and taking a sip from his liquor filled kiddy beverage, "I came on my own. With a few friends."  
  
Selina looked surprised. "I didn't know the school allowed things like that! How fun!" she exclaimed, perhaps a smidge to tipsily. This time Draco's smirk wouldn't fade for anything.  
  
"Selina," Lucius said softly, "have you had much to drink tonight?"  
  
Selina giggled and shook her head. "Just one. Or two."  
  
Lucius sighed in relief.  
  
"At every bar, though," Selina added.  
  
Draco smirked even more while his father moved to hold his drunk wife. "Selina, I think it's time to go home," he murmured.  
  
"But Draco! How will he get back to school?"  
  
"I can take him." It was Riley; Lucius hadn't seen her behind Selina, but now it made sense that Riley had shepherded the intoxicated Mrs. Malfoy back to her husband.  
  
"Riles," Selina protested, "it's your birthday."  
  
"Not anymore, honey. It's twelve-thirteen on the morning of the seventeenth. Come on, you need to get home. If Draco can get me to the beginnings of the school grounds, then I do my best to sneak him back in."  
  
Lucius cocked an eyebrow, and though he was already shuffling his wife to the door, he asked, "How will you make it to the castle undetected? It was my understanding that Dumbledore had stepped up the guard."  
  
Riley gave him a bold, reckless grin. "Do you know how many times Selly and I snuck out of our old school and down the road to meet some schoolboy? Believe me, I'm an expert at getting out and then getting back in!"  
  
Pamela, who had danced her way towards the small group, offered, "I can go with you, Riley, if you like."  
  
Riley shook her head. "It'll be easier this way," she told them. "The less people sneaking in, the less chance of getting caught."  
  
Pamela relented her offers and followed her mistress and Lucius closely. "See you later, then," she muttered, her mind already with the wellbeing of Selina Malfoy.

**BBB**

As it turned out, getting back to Hogwarts was immensely easy. After hailing a cab that took the to Kings Cross Station, Draco led Riley to platform 9¾ . Draco had been quite surprised to find that the Hogwarts Express, for the most part, served as a mode of transportation for witches and wizards commuting from Hogsmeade to London. It was only because Hogwarts had paid for the train and the train's tracks to be laid that it bore the school's name. Also, because the both of them looked old enough to be twenty-three, they didn't draw any attention as a school runaway and the woman helping him to sneak back in. When the train stopped at the Hogsmeade Train Station Draco and Riley slipped off quietly and walked the distance to the castle looming in the distance.  
  
It did not take long for Draco to begin talking amiably with her. "How is your café coming along?" he asked.  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Oh, very good. And are you enjoying yourself during this long English winter? It can be a bit bleak for first-timers."  
  
_'Compared to Georgia,'_ Riley thought, _'anything is bleak.' _She was becoming increasingly aware of how skimpy her garb was, and how the dying winter night was cold enough for her to shiver.  
  
"Should have asked my father for some cloaks," Draco commented. He was shivering too. "It's bloody well freezing out here. Colder than a mermaid's tit, you might say."  
  
Riley repressed a snort of laughter. "Such crude language for such a respectable boy," she laughed. The laughter lessened the chill, so she laughed some more. "You sound too common, when you use the word 'tit.'"  
  
Draco smirked in the darkness. "Commonness does not become me," he murmured.  
  
Riley had to agree. Draco Malfoy was far too beautiful to be common. Oh, damn! Did she just think he was beautiful? Good God, perhaps she was as noshed as poor Selina! But Christ, did he have luscious lips...  
  
"We're almost to the beginnings of the grounds," Draco commented, waking her from her reverie. "Time to start planning my route back in."  
  
Riley shook her head clear of scandalous thoughts and sat down on an icily cold rock. She motioned for Draco to join her on the ground. "I need a moment to regroup," she informed him. "Good plans-"  
  
"-come with time," Draco finished. "A motto Slytherins hold dear to their hearts."  
  
Riley glanced at him, then looked away quickly. The cold had made his nipples hard. They stuck out like beacons under his shirt. _Damn, damn, damn it!_ She hadn't known that men could get erect nipples. A thought struck her, and she looked down at her own chest. Yes...Her nipples had been barraged by the cold weather as well. And Draco had noticed.  
  
"Oh," he said. That was all he needed to say.  
  
Riley's resolves broke. Before she knew it, they were wrestling on the ground, mouths mashing against each other and pelvises grinding blindly. Nothing, nothing, nothing could justify this sudden collapse of standards, Riley realized, but screw her pride! This was her birthday—well, the day after her birthday, truthfully—and she'd enjoy it any way she damn well pleased! Oh, gods, now his hands were sliding under her shirt...Cupping her breasts...Then he kissed her nipples...Didn't matter how freezing the ground was, because the throbbing member between his legs was hot enough to melt anything.  
  
And that was how Riley came to have hot, shameless sex with Draco Malfoy. She came harder that night than she ever had with Selina's cousin Bruce or with any trivial one-night stand. When they were finished, when Draco's moans had subsided, he stroked her into a second and then third climax. Riley thought, as the tendrils of satiation crept into her mind, and as she got up to stumble home, that the young Malfoy had every reason to be cocky. With hands _(not to mention other body parts)_ like **¡that!** the boy had some bragging rights.  
  
When sense returned to her mind, she knew that helping him sneak back in was out of the question. "I...I have to go," she mumbled.  
  
He didn't protest. He had no reason to. So what if he got caught? Draco smirked as she left. He'd shagged a mudblood; this was proof that they were shameless sluts. Now he was back to the dormitories. He'd brag to Crabbe and Goyle the next day how she'd moaned and bucked and come undone for him. He'd make what happened in the darkened, winter-touched woods to be less than it really was, because, if he ever let himself know face the honest truth, it'd destroy whatever pride he had. 


	17. Chapter 16

**DISCLAIMER:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. As you might have guessed, this disclaimer was taken from the WONDERFUL people . I truly hope I don't offend them by using their disclaimer, because they word it _so well!_  
**Author notes:** **Please read the author's note BELOW! It's muy important! It has to do with the future (and there is a future) of this fic.**

Life passed at a blissful pace. One afternoon Selina came home--she had been helping the constantly moving Riley to make last minute adjustments to the still nameless café--to find that Lucius planned to whisk her away for a weekend on the French Riviera. They visited Lucifer then, which was altogether enjoyable but just the slight bit strange. Lucifer wasn't one for company, and he made many excuses during their sojourn to leave Selina and Lucius alone.

_'Oh well,'_ Selina always thought. _'We found productive things to do in his absence!'_

Riley finally settled on a name for her café. Because her interior designer had encouraged her to paint the walls a dusky pink and use black lace for curtains and tablecloths, the inside of the café looked like some sort of den of iniquity. Riley thought it gave the place an edge. In a moment of cliché brainstorming, she decided to call her café _"Femme Fatale"_. A silly name, Selina thought--a stupid name, Lucius said--but if anyone could run a coffee shop by that name, it was Riley, who was something of a femme fatale herself.

The day _Femme Fatale _opened, Selina dragged Lucius to Diagon Alley. He wasn't at all pleased by his wife's insistence, but, to keep her happy (and willing to make love) he had conceded. When they arrived, the café was packed. Riley was too busy to come and talk to them, so Lucius and Selina had to wrestle up a table of their own. When they managed, at long last, to sit down and order, they began to talk of the upcoming events in the month of April. This was how the stumbled upon Selina's birthday.

"The twenty-second of April?" Lucius asked. "You might have been told that. Hmm...So you are turning twenty on the twenty-second."

"When's your birthday?" Selina questioned.

Lucius made a grim face. "The ninth of June. Bloody hell, I'll be turning forty-two!"

"Twenty-two years older than me," Selina murmured. "That's not so bad."

Lucius snorted. "That's much easier for you to say," he assured her, "you being the younger one. Me? I'm the one they mistake for your father!"

Selina smirked. "Oh, Lucius, honey, you I don't think _anyone_ will mistake you for my father! You're too damn handsome!" Though Lucius seemed to like hearing _that_, he still looked bothered. Selina reached out and took his hand in hers. "You know," she said after a lot of considering, "we could skip my birthday this year."

As adverse as he was to the idea of their age difference being celebrated, Lucius disliked the idea of passing up Selina's birthday even more. "Nonsense!" he assured her. "I might not want to run around all of London's clubs again, but I do want you to feel special. Merlin knows you deserve it." He mulled the possibilities over for a few moments, then said, "Why don't you invite some of your old friends to Britain? Those schoolgirls you told me about...And perhaps one of Ms. Bryce's sisters? Whomever you wish to have by your side while we celebrate your twentieth year of life."

Selina smiled and stroked her husband's hand. No one could have guessed how adoring Lucius had become with her; the man in front of her was a world apart from the one that all-but-raped her on their wedding night. He sounded so genuine about his idea that she couldn't help but accept. "That sounds perfect," she told him. "Divine!" She looked around for Riley; in a few moments her best friend had managed to battle her way towards the table.

"What can I rustle up for you two?" she asked. Despite addressing them both in her question, Riley looked only at Selina. She seemed determined not to see Lucius.

"Oh, let's not worry about that!" Selina laughed. "What I wanted to tell you is Lucius's plan for my birthday! He says I should invite some of our old school friends out to the manor for a week or two! Your sisters, too!"

Riley crossed her willowy arms cautiously. "I can pay for my own sisters," she said softly. She still avoided looking at Lucius.

"No need," Lucius retorted. "It's Selina's birthday, and I am her husband. I insist on paying. Where do your sisters live?"

"Penny lives in France, Sara lives in Georgia, Luella moves around too much to have an actual city of residence, and no matter where Rebecca lives, Selina won't want her at her birthday."

"Oh?" Lucius arched a fair eyebrow.

"Yes." Riley shot Lucius a forced glance. Her face was grim. "Selina and Becky had a falling out a few years ago. They were never close, but when their argument took place, it was extremely severe."

"What happened?"

Selina looked down at her glass of water. "There was a boy...Both of us liked him. Loved him, even. His name was Tucker Ranch. He was best friends with my cousin, Bruce. "We...It's complicated."

Lucius stared at his wife. After depositing a small amount of money on the table--even though they hadn't ordered anything he felt it necessary to help support his wife's best friend's new business--he stood and helped her up. "Selina," he said softly, "let's go home."

Selina nodded. Suddenly the prospects of her birthday didn't seem so bright, especially with Riley's sisters present. It had been a good two years since the _"Tucker fiasco_ as Riley had dubbed it, and she was madly in love with Lucius, but what had happened still hurt. They got into Lucius's Ministry of Magic--he used it whenever they needed to get around without being noticed by muggles--and, after a silent ride, they pulled up at the manor.

Once inside, Lucius took her to their new suite. He sat her down on one of the couches and stroked her hair. "You said you loved this boy," he said softly. "Tell me more. This is something important, I can tell."

Selina sighed. "When Riley and I went to Serendipity's, and Tucker and Bruce went to Legerdemain's, the all-boys brother school. From the get go Tucker and I were considered the more steady, sturdy couple. We rarely argued, whereas Bruce and Riley were off-and-on every other week. They were barely official until they were sixteen. Tucker was a hopeless romantic. Bruce forgot his and Riley's anniversary every year.

"By the time graduation rolled around we were engaged in all but title." Lucius drew in a nervous breath. "One night the Bryces were having a pre-graduation party. It was the first time any of Riley's sisters had met Tucker. I wanted them to approve of him, because we were family friends. As it turns out, one of the Bryce sisters approved of him a little too much."

"Rebecca Bryce, I assume."

"Rebecca had always been a strange deal. Severe and serious, like your Snape friend. When she saw Tucker, though, she saw something she liked...And so they...They had this sexual thing for a few months. And when he tried to end it she came to me. Showed me pictures...Showed me a tape! All these things. And I confronted him, and her, and...Like Riley said, it was complicated."

"You must have hated me when I cheated on you," Lucius murmured, stroking her hand. It was clear he felt like a complete bastard.

"I hated you, but not in the same way that I hated Tucker. When he cheated on me, I was in love with him. When you cheated on me, I already hated you, so the infidelity was just another stepping stone." Selina clenched her fist. "But now I love you, and-"

"After Narcissa's death, I never had sex with Arielle DeSanders." Lucius said it suddenly, and with meaning. He and Selina had never discussed his infidelities, but now he had to make her understand that he wasn't completely like Tucker Ranch! "I just couldn't. There was once or twice when it might have happened...But I swear to you, it never went beyond a few kisses."

Selina gave him a smile that promised numerous rewards to come. It meant so much to her that Lucius had only ever been with her after their marriage. "I love you," she said dotingly. "More than I ever loved, or thought I loved, Tucker Ranch."

Lucius reached out and caressed her cheek. "You are so beautiful," he murmured, "and precious. I treasure you. I love you. I do not know how to say it better than that."

Selina gave a coltish, inviting smile. She moved over the couch to straddle her husband's waist. Into his ear she purred, "You can't say it better than that." In a swift move she'd been practicing for two weeks she reached back and unzipped her pale green dress. Lucius reached around her chest to unclip her bra. When all clothing fell away from her breasts, he gave her a smoldering look that made her heart beat ten times faster.

Right before he put his mouth to her nipple, he whispered, "What a lucky man I am!"

After that night Lucius and Selina began to function as a one. As the days counted down to her birthday everyone in high society began to recognize the new Mrs. Malfoy and the effect she had on her temperamental husband. Selina began making more appearances on Lucius's arm. One night she even played hostess to a small dinner party Lucius put on. That night Ms. Laverne had been forced to admit that Selina was coming into her own; all evening Selina carried on intellectual conversations with Lucius's business associates and their wives.

"Quite the elocutionist tonight, aren't we?" she had asked as Selina passed her, on her way to the bathroom.

_'If only she knew that I spent the entirety of last night pouring over Lucius's boring business magazines for research!'_ Selina thought with a certain amount of self-satisfaction.

One afternoon, while she was sitting in Riley's café, a flurry of owls hurtled through an open window. They caused a general ruckus, and if they had been looking for any other customer than Selina, Riley would have torn them a new one. As it was, she moseyed over to Selina's table and sat down to take a break.

"What are those, Selly?" she asked.

Selina grinned eagerly as she tore open the first small envelope. They were all red with silver lettering. "They're my replies!" she answered. "For my birthday. I sent everyone a plane ticket--don't tell Lucius, though, because he thinks they're coming by portkey--and told them that if they wanted a free trip to Britain to come on over the pond! Or, in Penny's case, the channel! These are their RSVPs."

Riley looked at the envelope Selina had opened first and snorted. "Georgiana Soonray? You invited her?"

"She was a sweet kid!" Selina protested. "And you had better be nice, because she's coming!" Selina had invited seven people: Georgiana Soonray (old schoolmate), Sheila Mardone (also an old schoolmate), Luella Bryce (Riley's party girl sister), Penny Bryce (Riley's career woman sister), Sara Bryce (Riley's homemaker sister), and Mr. and Mrs. Bryce (Riley's parents). After reading Georgiana's reply, Selina found that Sheila, Luella, Penny, and their parents were all eager to come. She ran into a smidge of trouble when she opened Sara's RSVP. Like most of the other invitees, Sara had written a short message after checking off _"yes" _or _"no_. Unlike the other invitees, though, the reply was less than friendly.

_Selina,_

_As much as I thank you for considering me in your twentieth birthday celebration, I must admit that it's a little selfish for you to ask me to take time out of my busy schedule so that I can gallivant around Europe for a few days. Nothing takes priority over my children, not even you. Maybe when you have children of your own, you'll understand!_ _Are your husband and you trying yet?_

_Sincerely,   
Sara Bryce Hadley_

When Riley saw the note she burst into a string of profanities. "That little bitch!" she cursed angrily. "I told her about your miscarry! She did that _out of spite_!"

"I'm better off without her," Selina said quickly. She didn't want to think about the insult. "She wouldn't have favored the weather," she added in an effort to seem at ease.

Riley shook her head angrily. "I don't care! She's being a horrible person, and she knows it! When I show my mother this-"

"Oh, God! Please don't!" Selina begged. "The last thing I want to start is a Bryce family war. Please, let's just discuss further arrangements."

Riley sat down in a foul temper and shoved the note towards her best friend. "Fine. I'll let it be. But only this once. Next time-"

Selina cut her off in an attempt to change the subject. "Housing arrangements!" she said brightly, but Riley knew her mood was anything but.

"My mother," she said. "Your husband knows of my heritage, does he not? And my mother's muggleborn heritage?"

"He does." Selina slammed her fist onto the table. "He makes me so angry when he acts like this! All high-and-mighty because his blood is so pure!" She couldn't help but think, though, that some of her anger was really directed towards Sara. Finally, "Could they stay with you?"

Riley considered this. "Yes. My sisters wouldn't mind, I'm sure, and Mother would love to go over the house with me. She's taken up interior decorating, you know, as a new hobby."

Selina nodded absentmindedly. It was obvious that Sara's note still bothered her. "I'll at least pick everyone up at the airport."

"Sure," Riley said. Now that business was finished, her attention had drifted back to her café. "Listen, I've got to get back to work-"

"By all means!" Selina stood and dropped some money on the table. "I should get going, anyways. Ms. Laverne wants me to help her pick out some new china patterns." She winced. "Artemis and Apollo destroyed one of the centuries old sets we had last night."

Riley grinned. "Have fun, then!" she called to her friend's retreating back.

Halfway down Diagon Alley Selina met up with Ms. Laverne. The stern head-maid nodded brusquely to her in acknowledgement; their relationship was most a mock-rivalry now-a-days. Ms. Laverne now respected Selina as the new Mrs. Malfoy.

"I'm glad of it, too! I couldn't imagine having a Mrs. Danvers on my hands!" Selina thought ruefully as they turned down a narrow street way and came to a stop in front of prim, dusty looking china store.

"This is it," Ms. Laverne said. "Barnaby and Sander's Fine China, the best china place in all of Britain. If you can't have a family heirloom, then you might as well have B.S. China!"

"Oh!" Selina held in a rude snort. "Is that what they call the stuff?"

"Miss Selina! B.S. china is not just _stuff_!" Ms. Laverne told her.

Selina looked at the ground as she stepped inside the shop. Well, at least it would be an amusing afternoon!

"Lovely patterns, my love," Lucius purred as she displayed their new china dishes in his study that evening. "But not nearly as lovely as you are. That dress is rather formfitting! I hope you didn't wear it in public?" It was a question, not a statement.

"And what if I did?" Selina asked. "It isn't as if anyone was looking!"

"Lucius's silver-gray eyes gleamed possessively. He moved closer to his wife. "Everyone looks at you," he informed her. "Surely you have noticed."

Selina shook her head. "I'm not that beautiful."

Lucius reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace. He whispered into her ear, "Maybe not to them--because you are to me but you are passionate. People can tell that about a woman...They can see the fire in her eyes."

"And, in my case, my hair!"

Lucius smirked and kissed the top of her head. "How many times must I tell you? You've instilled within me a certain..._fetish_...for red hair." Less seriously, "And knowing a family like the Weasleys, that is a harder task than it would seem."

_'Ah, to be loved!'_ Selina thought happily as Lucius proceeded to show her--on his desk, no less!--just how much he cared for her ruby locks.

They fell asleep in his study afterwards. Selina curled up on his chest and let out a satisfied sigh before drifting off. Later, much later, a little past the witching hour, she woke up to total darkness. The fire had burned out. It was a moonless night.

Lucius was no longer at her side.

Before she could call out for him, he called out for her. "Selina?" His voice came from the other side of his desk. He had probably moved to his chair. "Are you awake yet?"

"Yes," she replied. She stood up and tried to peer at him through the darkness. "Why did you move?"

"I didn't expect you to awaken for another hour," he replied. "I was going to do complete some of the business that I neglected in lieu of our earlier rendezvous."

"In the darkness?" she queried. She still could not see him.

"My love, we Malfoys do our best work in the darkness," he told her. There was a moment's silence before he told her, "I found the replies in your jacket."

A small pit of unease began to blossom in Selina's stomach. "Oh?" she asked, though she had a fairly good idea at where this was headed.

"I found the reply that Sara Bryce sent you. I hope it didn't upset you." His voice was toneless, emotionless.

"Riley says that she told Sara about my miscarry." She heard Lucius draw in a quick, angry breath. "But I'm alright now."

"She had no right-" Lucius began, but Selina cut him off.

"She was close with Rebecca. It's her petty revenge, I guess. Don't dwell on it."

"I cannot help but! It goes beyond Ms. Bryce's classless low-blows. It goes into what she said...Are we trying for children now? I know we said we'd like some if we were ever close enough."

Selina walked around the desk. By touch and feel only, she located her husband's chair and lowered herself onto his lap. His arms wrapped around her curvy build. She felt safe and loved in his hold.

"I'm so young," she reminded him.

"But I'm not getting any younger," Lucius countered.

"I want children. I really do. Especially now that we're in love and we could be supportive, happy parents." Selina shifted on his lap. He kissed her cheek and let his tongue trail from her ear to her chin. "But I feel like, if I were to get impregnated tonight, that I wouldn't be the mother I could be in five years. I'm still dealing with loosing our first pregnancy, and I need to grow up a little before I could handle another."

"Good points, my love." Lucius told her. "Now, let me say my piece. Ever since we became a happily married couple, and even a bit before then, my desire to have babies with you has increased tenfold. Before I wanted to have a child incase something should ever happen to Draco. Now I want to have a child so that we can become parents together.

"Selina, you know that I'm much older than you. In our world it doesn't matter as much as it might in the muggle world, but I feel the age difference often enough! I don't want to be eighty before our last child moves out! In truth, my body will only be forty, but I want to spend as much time being with you as possible!" He kissed her again, this time on the lips. "But I love you too much to hurt you by pushing you farther than you're ready to go. If it pleases you, I will visit an apothecary in the morning and purchase some heavy-duty, long-term sterility potions for myself."

Selina radiated warmth. "Thank you," she said softly. "I'll try and do this growing as fast as possible. I want to have as much time together as possible, too."

"This is one matter in which I'd ask you not to rush." Lucius might have smiled; Selina could feel his lips, pressed against the nape of her neck, move. "And do not worry, my love, about being with child. Since we returned from our honeymoon I've been taking some potions that my father kept in our storerooms to guarantee my sterility. These potions, however, only last for a few hours, so I'll need to get some stronger ones soon."

Selina turned around so that she was straddling her husband in the chair. She reached for her wand, which was somewhere on his desk. _"Lumos!"_ she murmured. A soft, pretty light illuminated their faces. Lucius was leering at her.

_"Nox!"_ he said, brandishing his own wand. Then, "What we are to do now, I want to do in the darkness."

Selina was clothed only in a thin camisole; he disposed of that quickly. He worked his stiffness out of the boxers he had slipped into but remained in his undershirt. Their lips joined at the same moment their nether regions did. Selina moaned. Lucius whispered a wordless comfort into her ear.

Selina could not have been more satisfied.

For a glimmer of a moment, her world peaked at perfection.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE (VERY IMPORTANT)**

**Author notes:** Okay, guys. Here's a long, boring (but nonetheless **IMPORTANT**) message. As of this chapter, I'm re-hauling _"Marrying Lucius Malfoy."_ When I posted this on , I said I'd only take two months to redo this story. Since then, I've found that it takes a lot more time to revamp a story. So here a **solemn promise. **This story will be up and running by no later than **February 25th, 2005.** Yes, a long time, but I have a lot on my plate—school, job, etc. I'm doing this revamp for a few main reasons.

**a)** _Let's face it—my grammar sucks! Typos, wrong words (ie: writing they're when I want to say their) that I need to get better at—and maybe get another beta, too (no offense intended for my current one!)_  
**b)** _If you haven't already noticed, I have many loose ends in this story…To name a few, the "Malfoy wife" garden, Cat the midwife…that I'd either like to cut out completely, or at least spruce up! I want to make the plotline of the story tighter and more precise!_  
**c)**_In relation to b), since beginning this story there are times when I've painted myself into a corner. I've wanted to give Selina and Riley an extra friend, or develop a relationship, or add relatives, or whatever, but found that, because I've emphasized certain points (such as Selina and Riley were a duo, not a trio) I haven't had much leeway to! Also, I'd like to add certain things—ie, the New Years Ball! Selina and Lucius's honeymoon! All lot of stuff!_

Okay, so bear with me! When I repost the story, I'll send an email out to anyone who'd like me to! (Please, leave your email address in a review, not an email!) **You will need to reread the story! I'm making major changes!** Other than that, enjoy this last chapter and eagerly await the reposting! Oh, and there will be two new chapters to go with it!

-R.S.


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